The Fragile
by LeoOsaka Bakura's stalker
Summary: Sesshoumaru's face withheld its stoic, stony mask, "I asked you a simple question. If Naraku controlled me, the only true kin you have, would you be able to kill me?". "…I…I don't know…" - Sess/Kag -creepy!Naraku. Sess-Inu family resolution.
1. The Downward Spiral

_**Disclaimer:** Yes. I totally own it. Which is definitely why Sesshoumaru can't seem to win, even though I love him. Totally why I watch the English dub and pretend to like it.. Yep…I own it, which definitely explains why I'm making a FANfiction about it. Yep. (/Sarcasm)_

_**Pairings**: SesshoumaruxKagome with a little Naraku to Sesshoumaru obsession bordering on creepy._

_**PLEASE READ THIS FIRST**: Okay here are my opening warnings: for starters, I refuse to mix English with Japanese. So NO, you will not see me writing honorifics. I will not refer to demons as youkai. The Shikon no tama, is the Shikon Jewel to me. Miroku is Monk I will not call him Houshi. Kikyo and Kagome will be referred to as Priestesses not Mikos. Understood? I've never liked seeing two languages so absurdly mixed when if you think about it: If they're speaking in Japanese, and the story is 'translated' English wise for the readers to read, then wouldn't the stray Japanese words also be translated? _

_Second, I am no novice fan fiction writer. Some of you may know that. If you don't, then look at my page. You will see I write a great deal. I've learned in the long run that you generally have to do things out of ordinary to get some notice. This story will be no different. If you do not like progressively realistic stories, than you will not like this. I will not have the characters fall in love in five chapters. They're lucky to hate each other a little less in that time. _

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**The Fragile**

_Chapter One – The Downward Spiral_

"Inuyasha!" I shrieked when he ignored my warning once again. It's not that I wasn't used to it…But every now and then I thought of how nice it would be if he would listen to me. He was chastising me again for being weak. That was something I was too used to. The jerk. "I saved your butt back there with my arrow and you're yelling at me!"

"You got in my way damn it! I could have killed you if you hadn't tripped over your own damn feet!"

"Well you shouldn't have been attacking like a madman when I was right there!"

"I just told you, stupid! I didn't know you were there!" He growled at me indignantly. 'What a jerk. I save his life and this is how he treats me!' I folded my arms and glare at him, but his attitude didn't let up. 'He thinks he's getting off Scot free with this one does he?' I lifted up my bag on my shoulders and started to walk out of the village. I knew he'd follow me. He always does when I say I actually want to go home.

The previous fight was so trying. Another misfortunate puppet of Naraku, of course, tried to kill us. By then I was expecting anything to try and kill us. Though it would be a sad day when we have to worry about getting strangled to death by killer weeds or something, even though that was not far from possible with Naraku. I sighed. I'd wished that we could just kill him, but he was expertly evasive and tricky. It was always so hard to tell when, or if, it was the real Naraku.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha's voice creeped into my consciousness. I turned around to him and gave him a look that spelled out, 'don't make me say the S-I-T word'.

"I'm going home! What does it look like?" I called and he pouted in his stubborn way.

"Fine! Go home! Damn wench."

"Sit boy." I said casually, almost a little pleased with myself at the sound of his face plant into the ground and the following grumbles. I sighed again continuing in my walk. I stopped before I left the village to tell Sango I was leaving. Of course, I walked into the hut at just the time her handprint was being made on Miroku's face. 'He just doesn't learn.' Though I'm sure he thought it was well worth the pain of a handprint. Sango looked flustered, but greeted me with a smile nonetheless.

"Hey Kagome! …What's wrong? You look irritated?" Miroku commented rubbing his sore face gingerly. "I'm to guess, Inuyasha?"

"And you would be correct, Miroku. I'm heading on home for a while until Inuyasha realizes that I'm more useful than he seems to think I am." I shook my head indicating the stupidity of his behavior.

"That sounds like Inuyasha." Sango joined in my head shaking. "We'll see you soon then? Miroku and I were going to track the last demon's path, we'll send Inuyasha after you if there's anything we find that's important."

"Thank you Sango! I'll see you guys very soon!" I said waving before I walked out of the hut. I was in no hurry to jump down that well, because I really didn't want to face that massive Algebra test waiting on the other side. It's a wonder I wasn't expelled from school all together! 'Probably has something to do with all the diseases I've apparently got.' I thought to myself ruefully. I was getting so caught up in the feudal world, that I was losing myself in the future world. I suppose it didn't matter. None of the people in my world could fight demons. I guess that only made me special.

I could see the well just within sight. I smiled. That well was my ticket between both worlds. Who knew that a simple well could be so much? And I'd thought there was nothing on my family's property that might be so important. I'm amazed my mother accepted my traveling back and forth. I wasn't going to complain because she was okay with it, though. Actually I was grateful. I know she was worried about me. I smiled when I remembered the first time he's seen Inuyasha. She did the same thing I did and touched his ears. If he had lightened up on the attitude he really could have attracted the ladies with those cute ears of his. The idea of seeing two or three girls fawn over his ears didn't bother me like I thought it might. I guess having seen him run back to Kikyo so many times finally got me to the idea that he didn't care about me like he cared about her.

The loud rustling of tree branches alerted me to an intruder. That intruder dropped down directly in my line of sight and I let out a loud scream. I lost my balance and fell backwards, landing on my butt and scattering the contents of my bad on the ground behind me. Looking up at the overwhelming sight of red sent some relief through me.

"Inuyasha! What was that for!"

"Did you see him Kagome? I smell him around here!"

"Smell who Inuyasha?" I asked, picking myself up and brushing off the dirt. "Naraku?" The thought hit me and I was worried. I wasn't sure we could take another attack by Naraku so soon.

"Sesshoumaru!"

"Sesshoumaru?" I repeated. 'He's here? But why?' A sudden pang in my gut made me drop the thoughts of the unusual circumstances. "Inuyasha! A jewel shard near by!" I blurted grabbing for my bow and quiver of arrows. "It's coming from that direction and approaching quickly!" I said pointing just passed the well.

"The same direction Sesshoumaru is coming from!" He growled and pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, transforming it into a large blade that closely resembled a fang.

True to word, it wasn't long before the quick movements of Inuyasha's half-brother were seen. He darted out of the tree line with more dash to his step then I'd remembered seeing in any of the fights with Inuyasha. It wasn't until he was very close to me that I realized he was coming directly at me. I had no time to move so I was panicking in my mind, until I realized he had no sword drawn and in his only good arm was the frightened body of the human girl that followed him. He landed sloppily in front of me. His armor was broken off and he was without his large piece of fur. The empty sleeve was ripped off to the shoulder, revealing the remaining portions of that arm that Inuyasha sliced off. There were red smears across his chest and on his face. 'Blood.'

He breathed in deeply and without warning thrust the girl at me. I dropped my bow and arrows to get my hold on her. I looked up with question, but he had looked back at the tree line. There were a dark figures immerging from it. He looked down at me and said only a few words before he darted off to the right of Inuyasha, stopping before the trees.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha said glancing over to me.

"Inuyasha! Look!" I pointed the best I could with Sesshoumaru's human tag along in my arms.

"Those things reek of Naraku!"

"Rin?" I said gently and the child looked to me. I checked her as best I could and found no traces of blood on her. So it was to say she was safe at the moment. But then whose blood…? "Sesshoumaru, are you injured?" I asked, not really caring if he was offended. From what I could tell the four of us were trapped.

"Answer her jackass." Inuyasha added in.

"You'll silence that tone of voice with me little brother, if you know what's best for you."

"Sesshoumaru, damn it, I asked if you're injured!" I restated my question with force.

"Yes, priestess, I am."

"How the hell'd that happen?" Inuyasha snorted, moving to come back to back with Sesshoumaru.

"Would you like me to show you first hand, little brother," with that, the demon Lord didn't sound very happy, nor did his threats seem very heart filled. He looked more tired than anything.

'You really got yourself in a position didn't you."

"Inuyasha, don't taunt him right now!" I said with a yelp when the black shadows became large branch like appendages and shot out at Rin and I. I threw the us both to the ground in order to avoid getting hit. "Oh, what are those things?"

"Looks like Naraku's gotten all new creations for me to destroy." Inuyasha jumped forward and sliced at the thick hazy black…things, with Tetsusaiga. "Damn!" He gasped, jumping back into place behind his half brother, after his attempt failed. "They regenerate! Sesshoumaru, what IS this?"

"I don't know, idiot half-breed." The ice prince retorted, staving off the approaching shadows with the blast from Toukijin.

"Naraku tried to make Lord Sesshoumaru join his side, but Lord Sesshoumaru said no! And Naraku attacked us!" Rin squeaked, pressing herself as close to me as possible.

"Silence Rin." Sesshoumaru's cold voice made the girl instantly quiet. I honestly didn't see why she was so loyal to him. He was such a jerk most of the time!

"So what's this? We're you going to toss Rin at us and run off, Sesshoumaru?" I frowned. The nerve! Leaving us to take care of the mess.

"I expect not a mere human to understand this one's motives." He replied. I narrowed my eyes but sighed. He and Inuyasha really should have considered being friends, because they were both so very good at being evasive and moody, even though Sesshoumaru's moods were more like passive, irritable, impatient, and cocky.

"Well excuse me for bleeding human blood."

"Now looks who's antagonizing who, Kagome." Inuyasha snorted, slashing once again with Tetsusaiga.

"Shut your mouth, mutt," Sesshoumaru verbally stepped in and I had to grin. He wasn't defending me, by any means. Merely ruffling Inuyasha's fur.

"What the hell is this? Kagome, you traitor, siding with the enemy!" A deep rumbling emanated from his throat in the very same tone of Sesshoumaru's growl and the two lifted their swords together, swinging diagonally to cover as much space around them as possible. Rin and I ducked down beside the two. The girl was murmuring. She sounded so scared and I did all I could to comfort her, but I was a little scared too.

"Damn them!"

"What's going on! You two are fierce demons. Why aren't you killing that!" I shrieked kicking off a plantlike blurb of black. Inuyasha swung the blade, cutting off the rest of the creatures approach to us.

"Give us a damn break!"

"When I call it, half-breed." Sesshoumaru interrupted, dropping Toukijin and pulling the Tenseiga from its sheath. I understood what he was doing! It was their combined attack, that worked on Soung, that he was going for.

"Ready, when you are." Inuyasha was surprisingly complacent. I realized then that we were in more of a bind than I'd thought.

"Now!" The older brother's voice cut through the air, and a split second later, so did their swords, combining energy waves to tear apart anything that decided it was tough enough to stand in the way of the perfect attack. Their father really knew what he was doing.

The shadow creature took the attack head on from the other side of the well and the whole cluster of trees and the creature were ripped to shreds. The rest of it recoiled and it limbs dropped off, seeming to have died without it's main body. The well now had a brand new path going from it, thanks to the massive blast of the two swords' attacks. Everything stunk of roasted demon, but a bad smell was far better than being dead. And to think I was almost home before this happened. Just my luck, it couldn't have waited a few more moments.

"What…was that?" I asked meekly, breaking the silence that was left as the two brother's panted in time with each other.

"Whatever it was…"

"It's not dead." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and I hugged Rin closer to me. The creature was reforming in the center. Its 'legs' were curling up and providing it with a new core.

"Sesshoumaru, why is it after you? Is it because you said no to Naraku?" I watched in dismay as the thing recreated itself in the center of the clearing created by the massive blast. It was spinning off what looked like legs with the center of it raised off the ground, like a giant…a giant Spider!

"Naraku…is a bitter creature, merely throwing a tantrum." He explained, dropping the sword into the dirt. I blinked at the action. Why did he drop his sword? Trailing my eye along his arm, it was painfully easy to see the wounds were making it hard for him to stand right, let alone hold the sword. It seemed like he'd been in one hell of a fight before managing his way into our company.

"One hell of a tantrum," Inuyasha said in a low, irritated voice. I'd heard that tone out of him when we fought Takemaru being controlled by Sounga. "Kagome, run toward the village."

"But what if it follows me?"

"Go, we'll stop it if it does. We could use Sango and Miroku right about now!" When Inuyasha asks for help, then you know it's bad. I nodded and stood carefully grabbing Rin. She stood with me and looked to Sesshoumaru before doing anything at all.

"Go Rin," her Lord assured and she ran ahead of me. I would have rather been attacked then see that poor girl get hurt. I grabbed my bow and arrows as quickly as I could and followed Rin. Her legs were much shorter than mine so I pushed her along as much as I could with my hands full. The shifting sound growing louder behind us confirmed my suspicion that it was following us. I made certain not to look back. I knew if I did I would panic. It was coming so close that I wouldn't have time to stop and draw an arrow to fire off at it. 'What is this thing?' I thought, wincing when the loud blasting echo of the Tetsusaiga eradicated the limb following us.

"Show yourself Naraku!" Inuyasha openly challenged. Was Naraku really there? That couldn't be. I didn't feel the jewel shards that he should have had. I only felt the one! With a swift movement, a large white blur sped in front of Rin and I, turning only slightly in our direction before I felt an arm under my back lifting me from the ground and throwing Rin against my abdomen. I shrieked and Rin did to. In that hand was the previously discarded Toukijin and I looked up at the face of the white blur.

'Sesshoumaru?'

I leaned my head back and gasped to see another white form very close to where Rin and I were running. Near it, the grass had wilted and died, and the soil turned black. A hazy purple fog was clearing to reveal none other than the Baboon-Skin clad Naraku. Anger boiled and my heart thumped with the want to destroy such a beast!

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled in the same tone my heart was beating to.

"Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. What a pleasant surprise." The half demon form of Naraku spoke. He removed the cover over his face. Had be not been an evil and horrible person, Naraku might have been considered a handsome man, but actions could easily over shadow appearances in monsters like him.

Sesshoumaru dropped back to the ground, placing me back on my feet, holding Rin in my arms. It was easy to figure out why he'd managed to save me. Rin just happened to be in my same path, so it was easier to get us both out of the way. I still had to wonder why he went out of his way for a little human girl. After all, he chastised Inuyasha so greatly for being a half demon, with human blood, yet he was in the company of a full human little girl! He was never easy to understand.

"It may please you, in the slightest, dear Inuyasha. I have not come for you this time."

"Shut your damn mouth, you bastard! I don't care what you've come for! I'm going to kill you!" He leapt with the last word said, but Sesshoumaru's hand flitting out and his fingers closed over the back of Inuyasha's collar. The half demon dropped back on his behind and glared up at Sesshoumaru with enough force I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd spontaneously combusted from the intensity! "What the hell was that for?"

"It's an illusion, half wit. That's not where Naraku's coming from." The more elegant of the two, turned to face the giant Spider like thing, only stopping for a second to look back at the form of Naraku. "That is merely a puppet. Either way, we are surrounded."

"Your nose is impeccable as ever, Lord Sesshoumaru." Naraku's form grinned wickedly and all at once more of those limbs shot out from both directions, but they were all aimed at Sesshoumaru. I took my chance to draw an arrow.

"Sesshoumaru, get down!" I yelled and he actually obeyed. Well, I didn't give him much of a choice, since I released the arrow before he had time to object. He'd ducked just enough for the arrow to pass him right by and make dust of the assaulting limbs. He slipped away from the scene and stood next to Inuyasha. Even I could hear his breathing.

"Damn…you're really hurt aren't you?" Inuyasha almost sounded concerned. He was probably more concerned that they wouldn't be strong enough to fend off Naraku, if Sesshoumaru was losing against him in the long run.

"Get down, idiot." The elder brother's hand went down on Inuyasha's head and he pushed him to the ground, ducking with him. I pulled another arrow and noticed it. Carefully aiming, I released the arrow and blew apart the limbs again.

"They just keep coming back! What do we do!" I asked. There was no way we could use the well. If Naraku knew about the well, then there would be no stopping him. And getting away from him would be impossible.

"We have to draw him off!" Inuyasha said in a low tone.

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"I have an idea," Inuyasha declared, looking up at Sesshoumaru with a look that clearly said, 'You're not going to like this'.

**To be continued…  
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_Leo: In case you hadn't noticed, or don't know the particular band. The story and all of its chapters are titled after Nine Inch Nails songs and/or albums. I hope to keep the chapters this long. Mainly because I have many other stories I should be working on. I'm not used to writing such short chapters anymore. But I will progressively get them longer!_

_I don't usually ask for reviews, but I really would like to know what you think of this story so far! So please review! It inspires me to write faster/update!_


	2. Just Like You Imagined

_Leo: I've decided for story purposes I will alternate the POV. Every odd chapter will be in Kagome's point of view, while every even chapter will be in 3rd person. _

**The Fragile**  
_Chapter 2 – Just Like You Imagined_

Kagome pulled Rin against her and stepped back slowly. The four of them crowded into close range of each other, looking like cornered mice surrounded by a wicked snake. Both brothers were grimacing at Naraku. They were trapped. Neither had been all too excited to work together, however when necessity called they had no choice. Inuyasha used Tetsusaiga to stave off Naraku, but Naraku's attacks seemed to be half hearted; as if he were playing with them, waiting for the moment that would benefit him the most. And he was, in fact, doing just that.

"Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha started, swinging his blade diagonally, releasing a blast from the tip of the sword.

"Speak." Sesshoumaru replied, mimicking Inuyasha's motions.

"If you think you can stomach the idea of helping humans, I have an idea to get out of here."

"You? An idea? That even sounds absurd."

"Damn it Sesshoumaru! Do you want to live or not!?" The half demon scowled, slashing with more ferocity than before. They were having a difficult time even holding Naraku's creation back like they had managed to do previously. "Or are you going to let Rin die with you?" Inuyasha added, knowing he'd hit a sensitive cord.

"I'm listening."

"If you change into your true form…" He started.

"I will not."

"What? Why!?" Inuyasha looked back at him with surprise at the blatant rejection of his idea before he'd even uttered the whole plan.

"We aren't in a large enough clearing, Inuyasha!" Kagome blurted suddenly. "He'll be an easy target!"

"Damn it, if that's all you're worried about then I've got it covered! You can hold me to it!"

"What reasons have I, to trust you?" Sesshoumaru replied with testy impatience in his tone.

Inuyasha growled lowly. That had been the only way he could think of to get out of such a predicament. He wanted to lash out at Sesshoumaru for leading Naraku so close to the village, and worse yet, he wanted to lash out at his half brother for being such a stubborn ass when at least he had a plan. "So you'd rather die, than listen to me!?"

"Ignorant whelp, had I been able to, I would have."

"What? You're telling me you can't change forms anyway!? Why the hell didn't you say that when I asked!?"

"It's called an ego, Inuyasha." Kagome interrupted, listening to them bicker, while Naraku steadily closed in on them was grating at her last nerve. "You should know all about that one."

Rin watched in silence. The limbs were so close to them now and they were still backing as close together as possible. Her bare foot tapped against a cold, sharp object and she looked down. The Tenseiga sat at her feet, unsheathed and pulsing. She picked it up and carefully cradled it in her small arms. The sword continued to pulse and she stared at it.

"Well damn your stupid ego!" Inuyasha roared, "At least I have a plan!"

"A plan that would get us all killed," retorted Sesshoumaru with malevolence in his tone.

"Yeah, well what the hell do you suggest, Mr. High and Mighty!?"

"Both of you stop it!" Kagome shivered. The limbs suddenly stopped and an eerie quiet came over everything. The four of them were huddled so close their backs touched and a circle of black shadows blocked them from any escape on foot.

"I thought you were all-powerful, Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha sneered.

A shriek from Kagome and Rin blocked off any chance for retort, and unexpectedly the limbs shot toward them with a speed that none of them could defend against. Time almost seemed to slow as they waited for the inevitable blow.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin cried, clutching the sword. The sword vibrated heavily now and a light emitted from it.

"What the…? Tenseiga?!" Inuyasha looked back and with a blast of light everything became a sea of white. His eyes closed and he felt himself lose focus in his body and he slipped out of consciousness.

The four of them vanished before the limbs could reach them and the white light faded back into the lush green atmosphere of the woods surrounding the Bone Eater's Well. Only Naraku was left to survey the damage until a single arrow pierced through the air and shattered through the reformed body of the large spider-like creature. Another arrow penetrated through the farthest leg, disintegrating the wooden statue used as the puppet master's tool. The molded body fell apart to dust and from the clearing stepped a priestess in red. She lowered her bow and walked toward the remains of the demon, in order to retrieve the jewel shard that had been imbedded in it.

She held up the shard to the light and glanced off to the spot the form of Naraku had once stood. 'What are you planning Naraku?" She whispered to the wind. Naraku had retracted his attention from this creature the moment the four had disappeared, which made killing it so very easy. 'Why would you sacrifice your creations so readily?'

"My dear Kikyo," Naraku chuckled slowly to himself, watching her through a smaller more discreet puppet. "You're so perplexed. What will I do next? I'm sure you wonder." He stood casually, glancing out at the countryside in plain view from his castle. The sun was beginning to set under the night of a new moon; the perfect chance to reclaim his prize.

The four estranged individuals were unaware of the exact location that Tenseiga had randomly cast them to. Kagome opened her eyes and sat up, putting her hand on her head as a headache pulsed a wave of pain through her skull. Her eyes still had white spots from the light. She groaned, but the sudden memory of the three others shook her out of her reverie. She crawled to Rin and breathed a sigh of relief upon inspecting the girl. She still had Tenseiga in hand, and she was thankfully unharmed. She was not yet awake, but she was stirring and breathing well. 'Oh thank god.' Kagome put a hand on he chest and exhaled.

"Hey, damn it, wake up." Inuyasha's voice reached her ears. He wasn't being loud, but the tone was sharp and Kagome turned around. The half demon was kneeled next to his brother, who had been leaned up against a tree.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called and he looked up at her. "What's wrong?"

"Bastard won't wake up. He's out of it." He proved his point by waving his hand in front of the demon lord's face.

"Don't even think about killing him in his sleep, Inuyasha." Kagome said with narrowed eyes.

"What? Like I would!"

"It's Sesshoumaru! Of course you would." She shook her head. She looked around and realized that her bow and arrows were left behind, as well as her backpack, which she was sure was destroyed now anyway. "All of my stuff was left behind…" She whispered to herself.

"I'm sure we can recover some of it," Inuyasha commented, having easily overheard her, though he was sure she'd forgotten his hearing was as sharp as it was.

"Inuyasha, why do you think Tenseiga protected us?" Kagome asked, as if it was an after thought.

"Good question. Maybe we'll ask you when you wake up." Inuyasha sneered at the unconscious form of his half brother.

"That's kinda lame, Inuyasha." Kagome giggled underneath a smirk, "I mean at least pick a fight with him when he can retort. Otherwise you look a little stupid."

"Oh whose side are you on anyway!?" He grumbled in response, but his huffy mannerisms died down into a contemplative demeanor. He looked to the west where the sun was fading quickly from view.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"There's a new moon tonight. And we're easy targets in our state. Sesshoumaru's covered in blood, I'll be useless, and you have no weapons." He took a seat next to Kagome. "If he doesn't wake up then we're in big trouble."

Kagome sat with her knees to her chest. Rin was curled against her side and Inuyasha was seated on the other. Her eyes fell over Sesshoumaru. She had to wonder how long he had been fighting that thing before he'd stumbled upon them. It would explain why he looked so injured and tired. She was tired and she didn't even lose any blood. Of course she wasn't a demon. She rolled her eyes to herself. These guys had such big egos, but when push came to shove, they usually ended up eating their massive overloads of pride.

She casually commented: "He looks smaller without his armor and that large fluffy thing."

"Doesn't make him any less dangerous."

"I know that." She said, casting him a quick glare before her expression softened again, "Still…He hasn't tried to kill you in a long time. Actually, he saved you from going on a rampage that time when you lost control of yourself."

"He had to have some personal motive for that, Kagome. I doubt there would be any other reason for him to actually do something nice."

"I think you two should really consider giving each other a chance. He's the only family you have." She sighed.

"What the hell does that matter?!" Inuyasha stood up with a fist clenched and anger in his tone. "Family or not, he's still a jackass! And he'd rather kill me in cold blood than accept me as family!"

"It sounds to me like you want him to accept you."

Inuyasha looked down at her incredulously. He gritted his teeth and snarled, before leaping up into the branches of the tree above them. She could hear his fuming. He was either in serious denial, or truly angry. Kagome looked up and sighed once more. "Inuyasha, come down. I'm sorry. I take it back." But he didn't drop back down and she waited for several moments. "Fine! Be that way, I don't care! You're the one overacting! Why is it so wrong to want your brother's approval?"

"Because I don't! That's why!" He replied, shifting among the branches.

Kagome was about to stand up and stare him down, or better 'sit' him off that tree, but a moving form beside her drew her attention. It was Rin. She rolled over and half way sat up, leaning against Kagome's leg for support. She looked down and found the Tenseiga on her other side. Picking it up with the carefulness of an adult, the little girl stood and glanced around, finally resting her eyes upon Sesshoumaru. She shook herself free of the leaves and began to walk toward him.

"Rin?" Kagome said before the girl got to far.

"I want to return Lord Sesshoumaru's sword!" She explained with a bright smile, which still had traces of sleep in it, and turned to run toward him. She stopped before him and carefully walked around, looking at him with the intensity of a child looking at their father. She came to his left side and glanced at the sheath that normally held Tenseiga. She lifted the sword, trying to avoid touching the blade as she carefully slipped it back into its sheath. She smiled when the hilt reached the lip of the sword's case. A shifting motion, made her smile drop to curiosity and she leaned closer to the demon lord. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

His eyes opened very slowly, but there was no surprise, or anger, or curiosity in them. His expression was as emotionless as it always seemed. He slowly glanced down at the Tenseiga and back to Rin. "You, harnessed the power of Tenseiga?"

"It began to shake and glow all on its own, my lord!" The girl nodded and smiled.

"Peculiar…" He contemplated the idea of that girl being able to use the power of his father's fang. Or rather, the fang protected her. He reached across his waistband to pull Tenseiga, sheath and all, from its place at his side. Holding it in his hand he felt the sword trembling once more. It was healing his wounds, he'd noted as the pain from his shoulders receded. He looked up to Rin's waiting smile. "I implore you, girl, protect this." He finally said, lifting it back into Rin's grasp. If it had protected her once, it was to assume that it would do it again.

Kagome watched curiously. The demon lord was giving Rin his sword? That wasn't expected. Kagome couldn't help but smile. She knew there was a good guy in Inuyasha's cold brother. Now if she could only get Inuyasha to see that. "Sesshoumaru," She said hesitantly, "What was that chasing you?"

Sesshoumaru glanced beyond Rin. He'd been aware of his brother's company as well as the priestess with him. He had had no intention of explaining anything, but somewhere in his thought processes he deemed it more beneficial to disclose a bit of information. "Naraku's form has changed."

"Changed?" Inuyasha jumped down from the tree next to Kagome and was now very interested in the conversation.

"He has gained more power, because of that jewel."

"Is that why he was able to overpower us so easily?" She pressed, hoping to gain as much knowledge before he clammed up and became silent once again. She took the answer from the single glance he spared her. Naturally he wasn't going to admit that he was 'easily' defeated.

Sesshoumaru grunted as he began to lift himself from the ground, pushing himself into a standing position with support from the tree. With his only hand, he stripped the remains of his armor and its pieces clashed to the dampened dirt. He glanced around cautiously. He noticed Inuyasha's ears perk. He wasn't he only one who felt the other presence. "Come Rin." He said and turned to leave, with intentions of leaving his brother and the priestess behind.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin squealed behind him, "Can they come with us?"

Sesshoumaru paused and looked back. Kagome froze. He was back to his death stare again. She put up her hands in defense. "Oh no, Rin, we wouldn't want to cause your lord any hardships, really." She added a nervous laugh, unintentionally.

"You may as well."

His cold voice broke through her attempt to not get killed by the demon. 'What?' She said to herself. "Come again?"

"Unless, you think Inuyasha can protect you as a mere human, come nightfall." The silver haired demon sneered under his barely noticeable, cocky smirk.

"How the hell'd you find out about that!?" Inuyasha jumped to his own defense.

"Dear little brother, how would I, Sesshoumaru, not know about such a misfortunate side effect of your tainted blood?"

"That's it! You're dead!" Inuyasha snarled, leaping forward only to be thwarted by a deft dodge on Sesshoumaru's part.

Kagome stepped in; "Inuyasha, SIT boy!" The beaded necklace glowed as it pulled him to the ground with force and slammed him into the dirt. Kagome stepped over Inuyasha and stood facing Sesshoumaru, "I want to know something, if you so care to tell me. Normally you would try to kill Inuyasha! What's changed?"

Sesshoumaru turned back toward the direction he was leaving in. "He may be of use to me against Naraku."

'I see,' Kagome thought to herself, 'he needs Inuyasha's help to kill Naraku. But, what about after Naraku is dead? Will he kill Inuyasha then? I can't believe that's his only reason.' She thought to herself. "So, you're not going to kill us if we follow you?"

"That is correct."

She stood, contemplating the circumstances. There wasn't any reason to really trust him, but as opposed to being alone in god knows where without any weapons and Inuyasha human during the new moon…She was willing to risk death by the demon lord. She turned back to the dog-eared brother and pulled his arm. He sent her a look of irritation and dismay, but she ignored him and forcibly made him follow behind his brother.

"Kagome, what the hell!? We're not following Sesshoumaru!"

"Oh yes we are!"

"And let him slay me in my sleep! I don't think so!"

"He's not going to do it," Kagome lowered her voice, "because he needs you!"

"Feh, like I believe that!"

"Don't make me say the S-I-T word!"

"Wench," he grumbled, pulling his arm away, but obligingly walking with Kagome and trailing behind Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru growled lowly, looking up into the darkening sky, where he saw a shadow float away from sight. He could easily identify the figure as Kagura. 'So, Naraku, you've sent your puppets after me. How very daring.'

Kagura had seen the disdainful look upon the demon lord's face. She knew it was very dangerous to spy on the dog demon, but Naraku was more imposing to her than Sesshoumaru. She floated in the air, gliding along toward Naraku's castle. How she'd wished Naraku was dead, but instead he'd only gotten stronger. She grimaced with the sinking feeling in her chest that alerted her that Naraku was near. He was not in his castle, like she had been told he would be. Dropping down to the ground level on her feather, Kagura looked about.

"Concerned I may sneak up on you, Kagura?" Naraku's voice cut into the air and she turned her head, trying to hide her alarm. He was barely visible against the darkness of the shadow cast by the tree he had perched himself in.

"Hardly, Naraku." She said, returning her feather to its fan-like state.

"Where has my prey gone to now, Kagura?"

"He's heading toward his Western domain, I am to assume. Inuyasha and the priestess are in tow."

"Oh really? He thinks his little brother can help protect him from me? Why, he's more foolish than I thought."

"Naraku," Kagura hesitated, but pressed forward when it was realized that Naraku's attention had been drawn. "Why are you after the elder brother, when it is Inuyasha who has thwarted your plans?"

"Soon enough, Kagura, you shall see first hand." His voice echoed into the night and his form disappeared in a swirl of leaved and wind. "Soon enough…"

Kagura looked up into the dark night, knowing for certain that she was once again alone. Naraku's plans were so intricate that he couldn't bear her any details? This could not be a good sign.

**To be continued…**

_Leo: Once again I state, this story will be progressive. It's not a story that's come off the top of my head. It's something I've planned out. I'm trying to keep as many characters part of this as possible._

Please review! This is my first Inuyasha fic and I want to know if anyone likes it! (I mean I won't stop writing it if you don't, but if no one's interested then I just won't post it.)  



	3. Closer

_Leo: I figured I'd take a moment to mention something, I have read the later chapters of the manga, so I know what happened, but I am going to change a few things. The third movie presented the worst plot hole I've ever seen in an anime adaption film. So the battle with Sounga will also be adapted to my story. HOWEVER, I will keep as much of the original content as possible. If anyone knows the actual names of Sesshoumaru's mom and his mutual father with Inuyasha I would be delighted to know! Other wise I will have to compromise it. _

_ THANK YOU for the reviews __(And for noticing that my grammar is fairly good!) __! It's made me really happy!  
_

**The Fragile**  
_Chapter 3 – Closer_

We followed Sesshoumaru in silence for what seemed like hours. The quiet tone of this walk just seemed to make the air heavier and it developed into an almost stifling awkward moment that turned into an awkward _forever_. Rin was the only one oblivious to the estranged surroundings. It wouldn't have been so bad if Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru weren't enemies by habit; but even still, in their time of truce, they seemed more ready to tear each other limb from limb before they seemed ready to come to each other's defense. I guess I can't blame Inuyasha, because his brother didn't make it easy to trust him due to the past. Yet, at the same time, it was difficult to blame Sesshoumaru, because his father didn't really make it easy for his sons to not resent each other.

I sighed; someone needed to say something. It was just too quiet. Even the birds were silent. Everything felt dead. Luckily for me, Rin fell back in place and walked next to me. She had the Tenseiga in one arm and latched her fingers through mine with the free hand. Our arms swung back and forth in her merriment and she hummed a cute little tune that ended the silence in at least some fashion. Even still, the silence between brothers was maddening.

It was dark by that time. We'd been walking through the night, guided by Sesshoumaru's impeccable sense of direction in the darkness. We passed from the woods into the beginning of a large field and the demon lord stopped. We almost train wrecked him, because we were walking so close. Only he could really see anything in such darkness, with no moon.

"We'll stop here. I will start a fire." He declared and I breathed a tired sigh of relief. My feet were killing me.

Conveniently we'd stopped by a river embankment so we could get some water. I was parched and I certainly didn't mind getting the chance to wash off the encrusted dirt of my legs. Inuyasha followed Sesshoumaru to gather firewood, while the older brother started the flame. Rin sat down by the bank with me, with her feet in the water in the same way mine were. Her feet swished back and forth energetically. I was surprised she was so full of life, considering just how late it was.

"Rin loves how the stars sparkle against the water! Don't you Lady Kagome?" She asked me and it was pleasant to hear her voice.

"Oh yes, where I come from, you can't really see the stars," I replied, "There's too much light distracting from the stars!"

"Too much light? Like fire?"

"Yes! Like fire. It's so bright that it makes the stars less noticeable! Unless you go far away from any 'village'!"

"You must live far away!"

"Oh yes, Rin, I do. But I like it here." I smiled at her and she giggled.

"Rin likes it here too!" She said, "But Rin likes Lord Sesshoumaru's castle the most! It's so huge! And there are lots and lots of flowers to play in!"

"Flowers? By Sesshoumaru's castle? Somehow I am not surprised!" I laughed. Considering the man wore flowers on his clothing, I guess I really wasn't surprised. Though I think I was a little surprised that he let Rin into his private estate. I would have thought that would be dangerous. Of course, I was sure Sesshoumaru feared nothing.

"Geeze, with as loud as you two talk, you're going to alert everyone that we're here!" Inuyasha's scolding voice broke the happy moment.

"I was just trying to lighten up the stifling atmosphere you brothers insist upon injecting into the immediate environment." I replied with a frown.

"Whatever. We got the fire going, so come on. Got knows it would be an even shittier day if you managed to get your leg bitten off by a swamp demon or something." He mumbled walking away.

"S-swamp demon?!" I stuttered pulling my feet from the water quickly while gathering my shoes. Rin did the same, though she was barefoot anyway. The two of us walked down from the river and toward the glowing fire built before the fallen trunk of a very large tree.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin said running toward him, only to stop just feet before where he'd seated himself. "Are there really swamp demons in there!?" She pointed vigorously to where we had just been sitting with our feet dangling in the water.

"No." He answered curtly, before he closed his eyes. He looked so strange to me without his armor and large fur. It was almost as if he could pass off as a silver haired human now.

'Speaking of human,' I thought to myself looking over at Inuyasha. He wore the look of a man who was very uncomfortable and paranoid. With all of his senses dimmed to that of a human he probably felt more vulnerable. His black hair was draped over his shoulder in its usual manner, but he leaned forward with his head lowered toward the fire as if he was ashamed of his new state. I guess it would feel odd being human for one day out of twenty-eight.

"How are you holding up, Inuyasha?" I asked simply.

"I'm fine!" He replied in a hateful tone that made me want to 'sit' him to death. I refrained, however, because it would only hurt him more as a human.

"Geeze, I was just asking about you. No need to have a conniption fit." I could feel my cheeks burning with irritation. He was so crude sometimes! So instead I decided to put my good-hearted nature to someone more deserving at the moment. "Sesshoumaru, how are you feeling?" I looked at him with a smile.

He stared at me as if to say, 'why, human, are you talking to me?' I'm sure, after several moments of consideration, he understood what exactly I was getting at. If Inuyasha couldn't be civil when I was being civil then I would be civil with someone else until it drove him mad, which is truly more torture than simply 'sitting' him into his own brand new crater.

"I'm fine." He replied. He was still looking at me, taking only the briefest moment to glace at Inuyasha. I'm sure he was willing to do anything that might get under his brother's skin. Even if that included co-conspiring with a mere mortal, not as if he hadn't done so already anyway. "And you?" He finally concluded his statement with.

"Never been better!" I snorted in a manner that wasn't very much like me. "I can't wait for the sun to come back up though."

"Rin likes the sun much better!" Rin said leaning against me.

"As do I Rin." I smiled.

"There are very few hours of darkness left. Be patient." The ice prince himself added, closing his eyes, probably to conserve his senses.

Inuyasha was fuming. I could tell by the way he tapped his hand against his leg. It was killing him that the three of us were casually, if not scarcely, communicating without problem and he was left to wonder how it was that I managed to make his brother utter words that weren't: 'die human' and 'intolerable half-breed'. And poor Rin was just an innocent bystander.

"This is crap." He muttered.

"What say you, little brother?" Sesshoumaru's voice was icy and impassionate, but there was the clear intention to antagonize.

"Just shut up." Inuyasha folded his arms and leaned back against the fallen tree trunk. "I'm getting some sleep. Don't wake me until morning." He grumbled, turning his back to the rest of us.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to cast a glace at Rin, who was already asleep against me. I guess even with all her enthusiasm, she was tuckered out. "I suggest the same of you, priestess."

I nodded, not really thinking there was a need for words. This man chose not to use words all the time, so I didn't figure a simple gesture in place of vocals would bother him. Granted, I was sure my very presence, as well as Inuyasha's, bothered him; but one must do what he has to in order to preserve himself and what he's out to protect and, with Sesshoumaru, that was clearly Rin.

I stretched back and settled to the soft sand. I was thankful that it was sand this time and not hard, damp dirt that I was laying on. "God it's cold," I whispered to myself, not really considering whether or not it would be heard. For once I'd wished that I'd worn something more outdoors friendly. I wasn't the only one to feel that way. Rin was shivering next to me, even as we lay out by the fire. In the woods it was different. At least the woods held in heat. But out in the field by the river, there was nothing to keep the heat of the day.

I curled Rin against me to keep her warm. I liked Rin. She was such a sweet girl. Almost like a sister that I never had or something a little different. It was hard to explain. Without warning a large draping object fell over us and I almost panicked, but it was stifled as a squeak when I realized I wasn't being suffocated or something dramatic like that. I pushed the fabric from my face, just as Sesshoumaru was seating himself back in his spot and closing his eyes.

"Lord Sesshoumaru…" Rin mumbled, wrapping her little hand in his outer robes. I smiled. It was heart warming really. His concern for her was impressionably mind altering from the original conception of the guy. He was still cold as ice, said little, and probably still out to get Inuyasha; but at least I knew there was a soft spot somewhere in that black hole that was his heart. After all, Tenseiga protected him time and time again.

I closed my eyes, wrapping my own fingers in the warm material. Even blood stained and ripped, it was comforting. I closed my eyes and held Rin close to me. She'd had quite a day for a young girl. I'm sure she didn't mind the comfort of another's embrace.

In the time I'd closed my eyes, it felt like no time at all had passed before I opened them again. It wasn't that I hadn't gotten a restful sleep; it just felt like the day was pushing into my consciousness so quickly that I didn't have time to react to the change. I blinked my eyes several times at the brightness of the land beyond the darker, more comfortable atmosphere created by being under Sesshoumaru's robes.

"Bout time you woke up." I heard as I leaned myself into a sitting position. Inuyasha's voice wasn't the first thing I really wanted to hear when I woke up.

"Oh put a sock in it, Inuyasha." I yawned, and stretched out my arms. I leaned over to nudge Rin a time or two. I figured it would be best to wake her before the other two decided we had to continue traveling. She already seemed to be waking, at any rate.

I looked back to Inuyasha. He was stamping out the fire as much as he could without causing smoke to billow. He was back to his half demon form, but his strength was still returning. Even weaker than usual, I was more grateful for the half demon Inuyasha rather than the human version. At least I felt a little safer.

"Now that I'm back to normal, we don't have to tag along with this bastard." He declared with the usual cockiness in his tone.

"Inuyasha, perhaps it would be a better idea if we went with him so at least we could find out where we are!" I tried to reason, but reasoning with Inuyasha is like trying to forcibly pull Miroku's hand away from Sango's backside. It was difficult and usually ended with the male getting harmed.

"Damn it Kagome, I don't know what game you're playing, sticking with Sesshoumaru and apparently sleeping with his clothing, but he's our enemy!"

I was appalled and getting angry. He always did that to me! Accusing me of things! He'd done that when I helped Koga. So suddenly I was frolicking with Sesshoumaru because I accepted his help and acted in a civil manner?! Not to mention the very idea of a sentence containing both the words 'frolic' and 'Sesshoumaru' at the same time! That doesn't even sound reasonable!

"SIT boy!" I finally concluded my thought. "How dare you say things like that to me!? He's not my enemy, he's your enemy and only because you make him that way!"

"Are you even listening to yourself!?" He snarled, pulling himself from the floor after the effects of the necklace threw him down.

"Oh yeah, I am. Maybe you ought to listen to what I say too!"

"Rin doesn't like it when you fight." Rin said, tugging on my skirt and looking up at me with sad eyes.

"Stay out of this brat." Inuyasha barked. I was taken aback at how promptly he received Sesshoumaru's fist against the side of his face. The half demon was thrown back and knocked to the ground several feet.

"Normally I would defend you Inuyasha, but you deserved that!" I said in Sesshoumaru's defense. "Don't get mad at a little girl because you can't act like an adult!"

He stood up, looking ready to kill something, but surprisingly he refrained. He was very outnumbered. With half power, he wouldn't do much against Sesshoumaru and my ability to 'sit' him any time I needed. It was only the smart thing for him to do by keeping quiet.

That stifling feeling, from before, fell over us once again. Everyone was quiet and we silently continued in our journey. It was still early in the morning. The sun couldn't have been up for more than an hour, but it was already much warmer than before. It was then I realized I still had Sesshoumaru's robes draped about my shoulders.

"Uh, Sesshoumaru…" I started and I was surprised at how meek my voice came out, "I still have your robes…" I pulled it from my shoulders and held it in my arms, prepared to hand them to him.

"Keep it." He replied in a chilly tone. I wanted to ask him if he was sure, but questioning Sesshoumaru didn't seem like a smart thing. Even if he had a soft spot in his heart, I don't think he was too keen on people making him waste his breath.

I softly replied; "Oh, okay." I hugged the clothing in my arms. It was soft material. Very fine fabrics with rich red dyes. I was sure he didn't want them back because they'd been 'tainted by humans'. That almost made me frown, but of course it was a miracle enough I'd slept in his vicinity and lived to speak of it. I probably had Rin to thank for the warmth he'd provided too.

"Oh, I was meaning to ask, why didn't Naraku's puppet die when you attacked and destroyed the body?" I blurted without thinking over the question. A habit I got too used to being able to do freely while in the presence of individuals who weren't so testy all the time.

"I wondered the same thing." Inuyasha added.

"I'm to assume Naraku got smarter."

"What's that mean?" Inuyasha's ears twitched, as his attention was further drawn to his brother and the explanation that was sure to follow.

"To place his puppet golems in more discreet locations, meaning it will be harder to destroy, providing him more time to do as he will."

I blinked, "So you're saying that the golem was probably in one of its random limbs, or something?"

"Precisely."

"I guess that makes more sense…that's why our attacks didn't work!" Inuyasha folded his arms in stride. "That'll make it much more difficult to fight that bastard."

"As previously mentioned, his form has changed."

"Damn it all! Why won't he just die!" Inuyasha kicked aside a small pile of leaves in his anger. I watched in strange fascination at the leaves that started to float in the air like they were hovering over the wind. I realized what that meant and I gasped, but I wasn't the only one to realize what had happened in that moment. Inuyasha had also noticed, "Naraku!"

A swirl of wind left a figure in white standing before us, once again. This time Naraku was without the head covering. Now that I'd gotten a better look I could see that even Naraku's human looking form had changed. This version was taller than his last humanoid form had been and his hair was longer, more like Sesshoumaru's. His eyes shone with hate beyond the hate his demon side had supposedly had for Kikyo.

"How easy you are to track, dear Sesshoumaru."

"You have received my response, Naraku. I wish nothing more to do with you." The demon lord responded with an angry glinting in his eyes that had shone through his impassive mask.

"I'm afraid I am no longer allotting you an option." His face twisted into an expression of sadistic satisfaction, "Just how long do you think you can run from me?"

"Longer than you will care to search."

"I don't believe that is true."

The overwhelming pulse of the jewel shard alarmed me immensely. I'd felt that power from afar, but never had I felt it so close. I stepped closer to Inuyasha and informed him of the tremendous concern that was flowing through me. "Inuyasha, that's the real Naraku." I whispered.

"What?" He looked at me incredulously.

"I feel the mostly completed jewel on him. I can see it by his heart! That's the real Naraku! Not a puppet!"

"Well, he finally decided to come in person then," a smirk formed on Inuyasha's face. He stepped forward toward Naraku and closer to Sesshoumaru. "Finally decided to do something for yourself huh, Naraku?"

"Why waste my talents in puppetry, on such weak little puppies?"

"Why you, bastard!"

Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha fast in place. There could have been bad results if Inuyasha stormed angrily into battle with Naraku and I was sure Sesshoumaru didn't need Inuyasha dying before they could manage to destroy Naraku. "He's testing your resolve."

"Yeah, I'll test his resolve when I put Tetsusaiga through him!"

"Priestess." The word was uttered and I looked to Sesshoumaru. "Take Rin and leave. Go quickly." The metal scraping sound of Tokijin being pulled told me just how serious it was about to get. I nodded and grabbed Rin's arm. She held fast to Tenseiga and followed me was best as she could with her smaller legs. Just when we thought we were getting closer to safety, it seemed we were only getting closer to being trapped by Naraku!

"Come on Rin!" I panted pulling her with me. We did not get very far, though, and we were quickly blocked off by more of Naraku's clever demon tricks. Large slithering branches crawled along the ground like a spreading disease of darkness. 'Now what do we do?' My mind raced, standing with Rin, trapped by Naraku.

**To be continued…**

_ Leo: I thought I'd just mention that I won't be updating this thing EVERYDAY, but I got excited and wanted to give this story a good start! I'll keep it well updated! Review for me and tell me what you think! It inspires me a great deal!_**  
**


	4. The Wretched

_Leo: Thank you for the reviews my loves! _

**The Fragile **  
_Chapter 4 – The Wretched_

Kagome gasped, standing back with her arms protectively around the smaller girl. Naraku had them all surrounded now and this time it wasn't just a mindless puppet! They were fighting the real Naraku with the power of the Shikon shards. She looked around, desperate for an escape, any escape; but there was no way out. Naraku had the absolute upper hand. She had no weapon, Inuyasha was at half strength, and Sesshoumaru was still recovering.

"Rin, stay close to me." She whispered to the fearful child. 'Poor Rin, she shouldn't have to face this…' Kagome thought sadly. Small hands hugged her arm and Rin held the Tenseiga close to her. "Why are you doing this Naraku!?" Kagome called, her voice laced in fear.

"Why, you ask? A mortal couldn't possibly understand, now could she?" His voice echoed through the valley.

"You're horrible." Kagome coughed. "What you've done is unforgivable!"

"Save your breath, Kagome! We're better off just saying what we've got to say with our swords!" Inuyasha said slicing Tetsusaiga through that invisible slot in the air that triggered the sword's power, but the slashes and attacks were useless. Naraku's new body had a barrier much more powerful than even Tetsusaiga could break.

"Man…this…this." Inuyasha panted, pulling the sword back in front of him.

"This really sucks." Kagome finished. 'It would have been funny if Sesshoumaru had said it. I think Naraku would have even chuckled, but of course he wouldn't do that and we're not here to amuse Naraku!' She thought to herself, biting her lip in frustration, what could they do this time? Tenseiga only moved them and apparently not far enough to really get away from Naraku. Actually it only seemed to have dropped them in his territory! 'Talk about luck.'

"Someone think of something…" Inuyasha gritted, holding his defense as tight as he could. 'Why isn't he attacking?!' He thought. Naraku had progressed against them hardly at all. All he had done was block them from getting away.

"I'll give you an ultimatum." Naraku finally spoke. "Give me Sesshoumaru, and I will let the rest of you go free. Refuse, and I'll kill you until all that remains is the one for whom I asked. And I'll start with the human child."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Going for Rin first was dirty, even for him. He made no motion, but the thought ran through his mind. He could always find a way to free himself of Naraku when the demon composite wasn't expecting it. A little obedience could potentially provide an easy way out of that predicament.

"Not a chance jackass!" Inuyasha stepped forward with the Steel Cleaving Fang drawn and ready for attack. "I don't know what you're planning, but you're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you take Sesshoumaru and find a way to use him against me! He's already my enemy, I don't need you pulling his strings!"

"You lack the want for self preservation, don't you?" Sesshoumaru muttered in a low tone.

Inuyasha looked at his half brother incredulously, "Don't you even tell me you were considering it! The answer is _no_, Naraku! He doesn't even get a say in this!"

"What gives you the right, half breed?" Sesshoumaru asked stepping back away from the reawakening black limbs of Naraku's alienated form.

"Do you want to be controlled by Naraku?" The half-breed asked.

"That is a stupid question."

"Then you're not going with him!" The Tetsusaiga slashed at the air once again, blasting away at the limbs with more forced than before.

"Is that all the power you have? Because that will simply not protect you from me!" Naraku's human form controlled the plant like appendages that were closing in rapidly now, even despite the efforts by Sesshoumaru with Tokijin, and Inuyasha with Tetsusaiga.

Kagome shrieked when a limb darted in her direction and wrapped about Rin's body, successfully snatching the girl out of her grasp. "Rin!" She screamed in fear of Naraku killing her like he said he was going to do.

Sesshoumaru's attention automatically redirected to the commotion caused by Kagome and the sight of Rin in his enemy's grasp. With his distraction on Rin, he was unable to block the limb that charged him from behind. He winced and grit his teeth upon feeling the limb pierce into his back. He dropped down to one knee and panted.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha charge and sliced apart the next offender that went after his injured brother. "And you say I'm the careless one!" He growled, staving off more of the oversized weeds.

"Now, Sesshoumaru…" Naraku taunted, " I will ask you again." He glanced up at Rin's form, as she was pulled closer to his core. "Will you cooperate, or will this girl suffer the consequences?"

'What good am I…if I cannot even protect a human child…' The demon lord thought, but remained silent and impassive as ever.

'He wouldn't really kill her, would he? How horrible can one individual possibly be?' Kagome thought, gripping the robes that she's slipped back over her shoulders. 'I wish I had a bow!' Her heart cried at the idea that Rin could be saved if only she had a weapon!

"Make your decision quickly, My Lord." His tone was mocking, "I grow impatient."

Silence loomed so heavily that it was crushing Kagome and she watched in absolute horror when Sesshoumaru stepped forward. Either way, there was no winning. Sesshoumaru would either fall into Naraku's hands or Rin would die. Both were horrible options and who was to say Naraku would even let them go? She couldn't stand by and watch him make a mistake like that! "Sesshoumaru, no! Naraku wants to you do that! Don't you see, he'll kill her no matter what!"

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin cried, still clutching Tenseiga to her little body.

'…Tenseiga!' Sesshoumaru realized and recalled his step. 'She has Tenseiga to protect her…unless it fails…'

"See that Naraku, you're not intimidating anyone!" Inuyasha sneered.

"Oh? How do you feel about this, dear child? Your own Lord is letting you die." Naraku shook his head, with a pseudo sympathetic expression.

"Lord Sesshoumaru will protect me!" Her small voice somehow angered Naraku. How dare she assume that that mutt could save her from his power, when Sesshoumaru could hardly save himself!

"You've outlived your usefulness, we'll see how well he protects you now!" Naraku lifted an arm, which began to distort and reform. It turned black with veins rippling through his hand while it got longer. It narrowed to a tip and molded itself into what resembled a sharp black blade.

"Rin, no!" Kagome screamed through bleary eyes, her heart thumping so loudly in her chest that she could not hear her own voice.

The expected massacre never came. Naraku's attention shifted and the smell of fire overwhelmed the half demon's senses. Flames erupted over his skin and trailed up, catching his robes ablaze. He had no choice but to release his hold on the human girl and step away from the source, quickly enough to eradicate the flames. His eyes narrowed, but a smile still crawled across his face. Rin was surely damaged beyond saving in the flames that made him drop her, but to his horror a white light flashed and the flames blew out in the wind, leaving Sesshoumaru's little human unscathed. 'What, is this?'

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru!" called an impish voice.

Sesshoumaru looked into the wall of smoke to see a small form, carrying a staff, immerge into the clearing, "…Jaken?"

"Aye milord!" The small creature, heavily resembling a toad, nodded and scurried toward his lord, tapping his staff against Rin's back to push her away from Naraku as well.

"You saved Rin! For once I'm actually glad to see you, toad!" Kagome breathed with such relief that she could have sworn that incident had made her ten years older. She ran toward Rin, startled only by Inuyasha's sudden slash into the air behind her.

"Be careful Kagome! Don't turn your back on this bastard! Keep a close eye on him. Who knows what he'll try next!"

'…Eye….' Sesshoumaru pondered, staring off at his would-be captor. "That's it…" He said aloud and looked back to Inuyasha.

"What's 'it'? And why are you looking-" Inuyasha's question held no ground against his half brother's sudden movement. He was swirling in a world of pain that erupted from his left eye. Sesshoumaru's claws had found their way behind his eye once again. "Aaaah!" He gasped, feeling Sesshoumaru remove his claws as well as a black pearl between the two fingers.

'What is this?' Naraku watched perplexed. Had madness finally snapped the older brother to attack one who was more his ally now, than enemy? How absurd and short-lived that union was, unless there was something else taking place.

"The black pearl." Kagome whispered, clutching Inuyasha's arm. His hand was over his eye and he trembled from the pain of the unexpected assault.

"Jaken, the staff. Now." Sesshoumaru dropped the pearl and snatched the staff from the imp, who readily handed it to his lord. He tapped the foot of the staff over the black pearl and the old man on the staff laughed an eerie laugh that could only come from the Staff of Heads. A black light swirled in the space before them and Sesshoumaru wasted no time in kicking Jaken through. He nodded to Rin, giving her a look that commanded her to follow; and she readily did as told.

Sesshoumaru's claws closed over the Fire Rat material of Inuyasha's robes and he bodily hurled Inuyasha through the portal. He grabbed Kagome about the waist and jumped through, just before the portal closed upon them. Naraku was cut off and they were very temporarily out of the demon's reach. Sesshoumaru was proud of himself for that epiphany in the midst of a small crisis. It had been a miracle Jaken had showed up, with the staff in hand, when he had. They fell through the upside down world, being caught by the skeletal bird demons that still remained in motion after so many years. Jaken and Rin were already descending to the base of the brothers' father's large carcass. Inuyasha looked up at Sesshoumaru, who still had Kagome in his possession. The demon lord dropped to the ground much quicker than the others, who were guided by the demon birds.

He landed in the bone-covered ground with a heavy and loud crunch, which was fortunate to not have been any of his own bones, but the ones under his feet. Kagome was only a few feet higher than he and she fell into his grasp easily and very thankful that he hadn't decided to let her tough out that fall on her own. Because there was no way she would have survived that landing without his help.

Inuyasha dropped down from the skeleton bird and angrily stormed toward Sesshoumaru. His feet crunched in the bones when he leapt at his brother, fist drawn. The demon lord did not bother to dodge or parry and Inuyasha's fist connected with his face, creating an echoing thud through the outlandish dwelling.

"You bastard!"

Sesshoumaru simply stared at his brother with an impassive look. He supposed that he, too, might have been a little upset had it been his eye gouged out for the sake of escape. But even with that, at least they were out of Naraku's reach. "I do not care if you are angry, at least you are not dead, whelp."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, trying to calm the raging half demon, "He's right, because of his quick thinking we've evaded Naraku."

"We should have killed him! For once he was right in front of us!"

"It does not matter when there was no way we could have won."

"You don't know that!" The half demon shouted indignantly, blinking his eye. He was thankful that he was half demon, other wise the eye gouging would have probably killed him rather than just temporarily blind him on the left side. He slumped to the ground, "He was so close…for once…He was actually within reach!"

"There was no chance, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru said, stepping in front of Inuyasha and looking down. "Listen to me, for once in your pathetic life and I will never ask it of you again. Naraku holds more of the jewel than he ever has before. His power has multiplied tenfold. I, Sesshoumaru, am not weak and I see the futility of a struggle against a creature that has become a monster. Until there is a guaranteed method to erase him from this plane of existence, the most beneficial option is to stay out of his reach."

"You mean to 'run', is that it?" the dog-eared brother snorted, not bothering to look up at Sesshoumaru, "Well my human blood won't stand for just giving up!"

"I don't remembering speaking any such words as 'give up'." Retorted Sesshoumaru, thus easily earning a questioning look from Inuyasha. "I merely suggested that perhaps it would be prudent to at have a plan before attacking blindly and hoping the sword cuts. The last two times we have evaded capture was due to pure luck. I do not appreciate luck. Because luck runs out and against Naraku, we don't get to run out of luck and expect a second chance. Had you been there during the battle against the Panther Demon Clan, I could have taught you that, but instead I will teach you now."

Inuyasha was silent. He had never heard his brother speak so many words in succession like that before. Hell, he never remembered his brother speaking so many words all put together. It was then that it occurred to him the severity of the situation. Naraku had Sesshoumaru on the run; and the demon lord was actually, seriously, concerned. He could no longer be that unexpected individual that showed up bickering about who should have Tetsusaiga. He was now Naraku's most wanted target and he couldn't seem to keep the bastard from finding him. He was, potentially, Naraku's future puppet to destroy them all. Inuyasha shivered at the concept of fighting a soulless Sesshoumaru being used by their mutual enemy. It was bad enough the icy demon acted soulless already.

"What can we do?" He whispered.

"You can stop sniveling like a puppy and relish in the very concept that I am not going to kill you while you sleep."

"Is that a sense of humor?" Inuyasha raised and eyebrow and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes slowly, but did not respond.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the large body of their father, 'I will not make it easy for you Naraku. This Sesshoumaru is no one's plaything.'

The air fell heavy and stagnant once again. Naraku stood in the open field. His body was once again resembling that of a human, rather than a disfigured body with plantlike branches sprouting from his arms. He was confounded. Before him had stood the collected group of individuals who posed the greatest threat to him and they had vanished into a black vortex brought on by a black pearl within the half demon's eye? 'This is most displeasing…'

Naraku's Saimyosho buzzed loudly in a large cloud at the new order of their master. They set to scour the lands in search of the demon lord and his new companions. Evading his puppet once was almost acceptable, even expected; however, escaping twice and against his actual person was unforgivably maddening.

"Kagura." He cut into the air with his flat voice, "I wish you to make way to the village in which Inuyasha resides. Find the monk and the demon slayer. If Inuyasha is to return to that place, I will be notified."

Kagura appeared from the far tree line. She made no indication the order had been heard, but Naraku was not concerned about her loyalty. If she ever wanted her heart in her own possession, then it was in her best interest to obey his wishes. "Naraku, where will you go?" She asked, not caring too much whether she was imposing on his personal resolve.

"I will travel to the West. I'm sure, one way or another, the brothers will turn up. Sesshoumaru is no fool, but it is truly a fact that dogs will return home even if they have to travel a thousand days. He is no different than a dog in such a sense," a grin slowly formed in his wretched face. 'Your time runs thinner, Lord Sesshoumaru.' The wind howled and Naraku, as well as Kagura, vanished from the plains; leaving no trace of their presence.

The echoing howl of the heavy winds made Kagome shiver. She'd remembered the last time being there, but that was much different. They were struggling in a fight. That was more of a rush to keep Sesshoumaru from achieving whatever his goal was. This time it was to keep away from Naraku. This was for 'self preservation' as Sesshoumaru had worded it. Truthfully, it scared her a little. She hugged Rin in her lap, humming softly to the shaken girl.

"Where are we going to go now, Sesshoumaru? Your plan to get us away from him worked, but not if we end up going right back into his hands." Inuyasha asked, standing beside his brother, looking out into the endless tomb of his father.

"This portal can open up anywhere."

"What?!"

"Did you not know this? My Inuyasha, you truly are an uninformed mutt, aren't you?"

"Bastard," The half demon scowled under his breath.

Kagome sighed, 'some things never change.' She shook her head at the brothers. She couldn't really defend Inuyasha sometimes. Sesshoumaru may have always started the flying insults, but Inuyasha egged him on. "Come on, you guys. This place is freaking me out, can we get a move on?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome and smirked very faintly, "Your human is quite shaken. Perhaps you should comfort her, dear brother."

"Oh shuddup. And she's not 'my' human jackass!"

"Then why are you so temperamental upon the subject?"

"Sesshoumaru, will you stop it! This isn't helping," Kagome groaned. She had this feeling that she would never stop the endless squabbling from either side.

Sesshoumaru's eyes shifted to Kagome, "Be thankful, human, that I have resolved myself to not kill you."

Kagome froze up at the chilly nature of his voice. 'Geeze, and here I was thinking he was starting to become a nice guy. He's so moody.' She hugged Rin, who was oblivious to the irritable tone of the adults.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, why are you traveling with such human filth?" the impish Jaken questioned. Kagome was ready to stand up and kick him across the platform, but amazingly enough Sesshoumaru beat her to it. Jaken tumbled across the bone-covered rostrum with the swift motion of the demon lord's foot.

"I almost feel sorry for him." Kagome chuckled along side her sigh. "I have to wonder why Sesshoumaru treats his own minions like that."

"It amuses Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin giggled. She wanted to stand and chase after Jaken like she normally did when her Lord raged on his servant, but the broken bones and uneven ground left her not wanting to walk for fear of hurting her little feet.

"So where are we going to open this portal at?" Inuyasha asked with a single eyebrow raised as he watched Sesshoumaru pick up several decent sized rocks to chuck at Jaken, once the imp appeared again.

The dog demon tossed the rock, successfully nailing Jaken, before he spoke: "We'll exit in my lands. Of any place, I assure you that my castle is the safest dwelling and Naraku would have much traveling to do before he could catch up. That will buy us time," He concluded tossing another rock and refraining from voicing his secondary thought, 'time that we will need.'

**To be contiuued….**

_ Leo: To answer a question, Any grammar used in Kagome's chapters may not be perfect, because Kagome is not perfect. I try to get the best grammar I can in the 3rd person narrative chapters, but in Kagomes chapters I've loosened up a bit to get a feel for her character. In the English dub I've heard her say "even still", so I used it! _

_For GP information, I have already written 60 plus pages of this story, which amount to about 8 chapters. I started this story from the beginning, a week ago! So I think I'm moving along pretty quickly. I'm just stalling updates because I have to beta check them. _**  
**


	5. A Warm Place

**The Fragile**   
_Chapter 5 – A Warm Place_

Listening to Inuyasha and his brother was perplexing. I remembered how readily Sesshoumaru would attempt to kill Inuyasha, or at least throw him a well-aimed punch, but this time there was no real hostility. Okay, so they did manage to verbally drive each other crazy and Inuyasha did punch him in the face; but aside from that, they were remarkably peaceful.

"I still think you're a jackass." Inuyasha scowled.

"As I still deem you a worthless fool."

Okay…so maybe 'peaceful' wasn't the best word. I chuckled to myself. At least we'd gotten away from Naraku. His newfound power was frightening. I'd never felt him so strong and for once he was truly right before us, not his demon puppets or incarnations. Even the combined efforts of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had no effect. What were we going to do? He would find us again eventually, just as Sesshoumaru said.

"Master Jaken, you have a bone in your robes!" Rin giggled, pointing to the imp. Seeing Jaken get handled by Sesshoumaru was strangely satisfying. I hadn't even considered the possibility of Sesshoumaru being as annoyed by Jaken as the rest of us, but a few well-aimed rocks proved to me otherwise. The demon lord had very good aim too. If he had two hands he would have been a better archer than I, and probably even Kikyo!

"Aye, be quiet, girl." Jaken grumbled and Rin laughed harder.

"So when are we leaving?" I asked, hoping that Sesshoumaru wouldn't rip my head off for speaking to him.

"Momentarily," he replied simply. He sat himself on a small incline by his father's large body. I watched him discreetly while he put his only hand under the flap of his robes. A very faint wince crossed his face and the front of his mostly white kimono began to turn a deep red. He withdrew his hand, revealing what appeared to be a small seed.

"What the hell is that?" Inuyasha leaned over his brother's shoulder, which I was surprised didn't get him hit.

"That bastard's clever attempt to track me. As if I, a demon lord of my stature, would not take notice." He snorted in a very Sesshoumaru kind of way and burnt the 'seed' into oblivion with the use of his poisonous claws.

I was a little surprised to hear such malice in his voice. In all the times he'd gotten into a riff with Inuyasha, I'd never heard him talk in that tone. Yeah, he was always a little peeved when he attacked Inuyasha and found him not using Tetsusaiga properly, but that always seemed a rather half-hearted irritation. This was real hatred if I ever heard it. I had to wonder… "Sesshoumaru…what did Naraku do, to make you hate him so much?" I realized that my question had been verbally spoken and I froze, "I…I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking before I spoke…Forget I asked!" I surely didn't want him getting angry with me!

I was a little shocked he actually responded, "He used me, among other travesties." His gaze fell over Rin and then to Jaken only for a spilt second. In fact it was so quickly, I wasn't sure he'd actually done it, but I was sure that they were part of his reasons. "I think it's best we leave." He added. He stood up, but shakily. All powerful or not, he was still able to succumb to injuries.

"So how do we leave?" Inuyasha asked.

"…You really are unaware? You had me believing it was your poor sense of humor when you spoke as if you didn't know!"

"You're one to talk about poor sense of humor, you bastard!" Inuyasha growled in the same tone an angry puppy would growl. Actually it was kinda cute and I couldn't resist 'awww'ing at it. He turned to cast a glare at me, "Oh shut up!"

"Father," Sesshoumaru started with a typical grimace at the topic, "Hid his tomb behind your left eye…naturally, you are the one who can open the portal to any location."

"Yeah, okay, I get that, but _how_? "

"Will it to happen."

"So what? Am I supposed to say 'please black pearl, take me to Sesshoumaru's castle?!' Three times and expect to suddenly appear there! That's stupid!"

Without much warning a black swirl erupted into the air before our strange little group and it appeared just as the portal we'd come through to escape our pursuer. Inuyasha stared at the portal like an idiot and Sesshoumaru actually cracked a real genuine grin.

"Apparently, little brother, that _is_ all you have to say." He chuckled just a little, before he kicked Jaken through and motioned for Rin and I to follow. I stood, carefully holding Rin in my arms. I really didn't want her to walk in all of the bones that littered this crazy other worldly place. She held fast to me and I jumped through the portal. I was vaguely aware of Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha following behind. The dark violet glow of the portal almost reminded me of how it was passing through the well.

We immerged into a gorgeous plot of land. The fields rolled in all directions and to the far West was a large establishment. It was like an imperial castle. Surrounded in flower fields. The black portal closed when the final person, Sesshoumaru, stepped out. I'm sure he felt much better now in his owns lands and I was sure these were his lands, because Rin had described lots of flowers in the fields.

"Is that your castle?" Inuyasha asked. "I mean…that would really suck if we ended up in the wrong place."

"These are my lands, rest assured." He affirmed.

"Wow…no kidding?" Inuyasha looked absolutely amazed, but truth was, so was I. His estate was not only huge, but also remarkably clean. I was half expecting it to be ominous and covered in corpses or something dark and scary like that. But then again, looking at Sesshoumaru, it only makes sense that his domain be as well kept and handsome as he was. I tried not to blush at that thought, but it was painfully true. Yes, he was a pain in the butt and very dangerous, but he wasn't bad to look at, at all! "Damn…" Inuyasha continued to awe at the surroundings. "Our old man must really have been powerful."

"More than you'd think." The lord of the lands commented tonelessly and began to walk in the direction of the castle. It really wasn't as far as it had first seemed and Rin pulled me by the hand to run with her across the fields. We passed Sesshoumaru and I giggled at the warning tone of Jaken, in regards to Rin's behavior. Sesshoumaru didn't seem to mind though. I was sure he didn't mind most of Rin's playful demeanor.

"Whoa Rin, slow down!" I said in between laughing. How such a fun girl came to following the ice king was beyond me. I'm sure glad she was though. Without Rin standing near me, Sesshoumaru would have never saved me from Naraku's first attack by the well and I would have probably died of the poison.

"Oh! Lady Kagome, Rin dropped Lord Sesshoumaru's sword!" Rin said turning around to retrieve it from it's place ten or so feet back.

"Aye, Rin, how did you come to possess Lord Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga?" Jaken asked, standing before the sword of healing.

"He gave it to me to protect, Lord Jaken!" She smiled a toothy grin at the imp, who seemed absolutely shocked and probably appalled as well at the very idea of her carrying his master's precious sword.

"I think you're doing a fine job protecting it too, Rin, you've had it this whole time and never let it go!" I grinned clapping my hands together.

"I promise to protect Lord Sesshoumaru's sword as long as he wishes it!" She beamed.

"Oh you're just so cute, Rin!" I squealed and pulled the girl into a hug.

I'm sure that Inuyasha was rolling his eyes at our fun and he commented: "Would you two knock it off."

"Quit being a spoil sport, Inuyasha." I frowned, "I'm sure _Lord_ Sesshoumaru isn't bothered by our trivial actions." I pushed my hair behind my ear in a teasing fashion.

"Oh please! He's probably _more_ annoyed!"

"Not particularly."

Inuyasha looked back at Sesshoumaru with a scowl and pointed, "You're doing that on purpose, you bastard!"

"You're the bastard, _little brother_."

"Okay you two, stop it." I interrupted before that scene got out of hand. Sesshoumaru seemed to be lenient enough for the time being, but I could sense the rise of his naturally darker side. Having him slash Inuyasha into ribbons was not on my 'top ten things I want to see' list.

Inuyasha's attention was clearly not on my words however, "What the? Who the hell is that?" He was looking off in the direction of the castle where, surely enough, there was a figure walking toward us.

"Merely a servant, you needn't worry." Sesshoumaru replied, lifting a hand toward the approaching demon. He waved his hand and the demon ceased moving. "They are a bothersome lot."

"Aye milord, you merely say such, because they were the individuals to bed you as a measly child!" Jaken nodded to himself. He stopped breathing once he realized what he'd said. Poor Jaken didn't see the demon lord come up behind him with his foot ready for a power kick. Seeing Jaken fly through the air in such an impressive way really got me thinking…Sesshoumaru would make an amazing soccer player.

"Wait, you're saying that they were your babysitters!?" Inuyasha said a bit too loudly and with too much laugh in his tone. Sesshoumaru walked passed him, dropping his hand by his side to unleash a quick flash of that strange whip-like thing he could make come from his claws. He reproachfully pulled Inuyasha's feet from under him with said whip and the half demon landed on his back with a loud thud followed by a shout of: 'bastard!' Sesshoumaru just kept walking.

"Inuyasha, why do you egg him on like that!? You know he doesn't have to be kind to us at all! But he's making a valiant effort…you should try it too!" I scolded, standing over him with my hands on my hips.

"Yeah, well it's _his_ life at stake here. Not mine!"

"Oh, you're so stupid Inuyasha! It's not just his life; it's his free will! And if Naraku takes that away then what do you think will happen to the rest of us? Naraku won't think twice about using your brother to kill us off one by one! And if I predict Naraku, he'll kill off all the people you care about until you're the last one! Do you want that?!" I hadn't intended for the conversation to get so heavy, but struggling so hard just to keep out of Naraku's grasp made it a topic that was getting more difficult to avoid.

"Of course I don't want that, stupid!" He sat up and looked at me, then looked away. With a lower voice he continued, "But I don't want any attachment to Sesshoumaru…Because if…no…when it happens…I don't want there to be any chance that I will hesitate in killing him. I would rather slaughter him in cold blood, than save a lifeless doll."

Hearing Inuyasha's reasoning almost made me start sobbing. He was afraid that he would actually start to coexist with his brother and then have to kill him because of Naraku. What a despicable creature Naraku proved to be. How many lives had he already destroyed? I locked eyes with Inuyasha. There was a sort of gleam in his golden eyes that made me wonder if we had any hope of outdoing that wretched creature.

"Inuyasha…it doesn't have to get to that point…We can find a way to stop Naraku." I tried so hard to be encouraging, but it was getting harder to believe it myself.

"I think we need to be more realistic here…" He looked away once again. His voice dropped to so low a whisper, that I had to strain to hear him, "I've never seen my stubborn jackass of a brother run…what hope can we have?"

"Well we can try!" I said again.

"Are all humans so theatrical?" The rich baritone voice nearly startled me out of my skin and I gasped upon glancing up to Sesshoumaru.

"You could say that." I squeaked thinking, 'oh god please don't kill me,' in the back of my mind. His voice was back to being arctic cold. 'What is with this guy? One minute he's _almost_ like cold water, now he's back to being an ice cube!'

"Come. We haven't time to dawdle." The human slash demon shaped ice statue said, simply walking away. I knew he'd heard everything said. Why didn't that bother him at all? Did he care about _anything_? Other than Rin, that is…

I helped Inuyasha to his feet and we followed Sesshoumaru. Rin took my hand and pranced along side me. Jaken tailed behind us, mainly because I think he was afraid of getting kicked across the field. More silence. 'God, what is with these people? At least back with their normal group it wasn't so dead with Miroku, Sango and Shippou around. These two would probably rather be killing each other than talking like real brothers…' I caught myself before I could heave a sigh. I knew if I had, Inuyasha would have easily caught on to it and questioned me to death. Dog demons are so difficult sometimes.

The castle grew larger in our view and finally it filled the scenery completely. We were standing right before it and suddenly I realized that Sesshoumaru must have been to the Western Lands like Queen Elizabeth was to England! Only he actually had real power in his 'government'. Not that any of them would have any clue as to what I was mentally comparing it to. Just yet another difficult side effect of coming from a different time.

A demon came running down the steps and called to Sesshoumaru, "My lord!" I'd never seen someone take steps in strides of four, going so fast and not tripping. I was impressed. Oh, I'm sure Inuyasha could have jumped the whole staircase…but he's not known for his grace…if he actually took the stairs by steps…I was sure he wouldn't make it without falling down them. At least not while running down them as quickly as this demon.

He stopped before us. His hair was like Sesshoumaru's, long and silver. He also had similar markings on his face to Sesshoumaru. It made me wonder…if all dog demons share similar qualities. I gasped lowly when he looked directly at me before glancing to Inuyasha as well.

"You bring more humans with you? My lord…the two children are already a large risk!"

"Koumaijii, do not question my motives. Has any strange presence made itself known here, in my absence?" He questioned.

"Nay, my lord. Rest assured you will be made aware, should something arise."

"Good. Now, patrol the far border. Someone is coming for me. You needn't try to kill him; I merely ask you hold him off for as long as possible. If you are overpowered, then flee, immediately." He spoke in a commanding voice that I hadn't ever heard from him. I guess in his own lands he had to be much more arduous if he wanted respect.

"Understood, my lord!" This Koumaijii guy was so obedient that it reminded me of a show dog. I was about getting sick of hearing 'my lord' all of the time, too. It didn't seem to bother Sesshoumaru when I didn't call him 'lord'. And Inuyasha never showed that much respect…so I wondered if it really mattered all that much if they said it…or if they were just showing such respect out of loyalty. Koumaijii let out a loud dog whistle and three other large human shaped demons shot passed us in white and gold blurs. He and the other three were gone before the wind even settled and I was a little amazed.

"Wow…" I breathed.

"That wasn't the same demon from before, was it Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked, turning to his brother. I wasn't sure whether or not Sesshoumaru was getting irritated by all of the questions; but I'm sure having so many questions asked by the person he seemed to despise most, didn't make the man happy.

He gave a short response, "No. It wasn't."

"The one before was a lesser servant. Koumaijii is Lord Sesshoumaru's lead advisor." Jaken added, filling in any blanks that the demon lord left void.

"I have a hard time imagining you listening to anyone, willingly." Inuyasha snorted.

"I don't." Sesshoumaru looked back, actually gracing his brother with a cocky smirk.

We stepped up on the platform. This was a nice warm place compared to that chilly gravesite. The sun felt so invigorating as it beamed down on our tired little party. Rin was blowing on a flower next to me, watching the petals fly down the stairs in the wind. Some how I had the feeling that we were becoming just like that flower…scattered. Sango and Miroku didn't even know what happened to us, we were technically in enemy territory (as Inuyasha would put it) and we were being chased by an evil monster with an almost completed Shikon Jewel. This had been the worst twenty-four hours in the history of my life. And my fear of losing to Naraku was the only thing that managed to put a chill through my body despite the warmth of the atmosphere.

"Jaken, have supplies brought to us, I trust you to know what's needed."

"Yes milord!" The green little imp skittered across the tiled surface and disappeared into the building. Sesshoumaru said nothing, but seated himself on the top step, facing out toward the rolling green fields.

"Lord Sesshoumaru? Are you hurt?" Rin asked, casually sticking a flower into the top collar of her lord's robes.

"I am fine, Rin."

"Hey Sesshoumaru, that Kouma…Koukai…whatever his name was, said that you have two humans here. But I only see Rin…" Inuyasha's ears twitched while he contemplated something. He always does that with his ears when he's thinking.

"The demon slayer's brother is also here."

"Demon slayer…Sango? Wait! You have Kohaku here?!"

"Kohaku plays with Rin! But he is unwell as of late." Rin smiled, patting the small flower in Sesshoumaru's collar. I was completely surprised he didn't make any motion to stop her or at least show her that he wanted her to stop. She reached for another flower from the ones she had been holding, but placed on the floor next to Tenseiga. She lifted it to Sesshoumaru.

"He followed me of his own accord once the shard he holds in his body was purified." He said flatly and to my surprise, he took the flower from Rin. With his teeth, he absentmindedly stripped off the excess leaves and tucked the flower behind the human girl's ear. She giggled happily.

'He treats her like she's his daughter. Oh that's so cute!' I smiled feeling warmth in my heart at the sight. Such bitterness went unsettled between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru; so when I watched him act so passive with Rin I really believed that Inuyasha had a chance to patch up the hatred and maybe even mold a friendship between them.

"Kagome, how well do you tend wounds?"

I looked up, unsure whether or not I'd actually heard the right voice in my mind. But, sure enough, it had been Sesshoumaru who has spoken to me! And all I could say was: "You called me 'Kagome'…."

"Would you rather I called you something else?"

"No, I was just expecting you to call me 'priestess' or something like that."

"I would prefer not… to sound like the half-breed." He replied, looking over his shoulder to Inuyasha, who I was sure was muttering something like 'bastard' under his breath.

'So much for molding friendship…' I rolled my eyes mentally, but refrained from doing it outwardly. I didn't need Sesshoumaru thinking I was rolling my eyes at him! He was still unpredictable and I was probably still considered expendable to him. "Um, but yes, I can tend to wounds. Pretty well I might add! After all, no one gets injured more than Inuy-"

Two ears twitched: "Oh shut up!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but you _do _get injured more than anyone else!" I huffed, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

"Well excuse _me_ for saving your ass all the damn time!"

"Oh yeah?" I retorted.

"Yeah!"

"Sit boy!" I spoke softly and the necklace around his neck glowed a violet color and smacked him into the hard tile. I was impressed by the quality of the tile, because it didn't even put a scratch in the material.

I'm sure we left Sesshoumaru regretting bringing us with him or allowing us to help him.

**To be continued…**

_Review please! _


	6. Gone, Still

_Please ignore the many typos! I haven't had time to fix this chapter! _

**The Fragile**

Chapter 6 – Gone, Still 

Heaving a sigh, the small imp returned with a meager servant to bring the needed items to his lord. He was unsure of what was going through the mind of his master, but regardless he believed that Sesshoumaru would make only the best decisions. His unexpected separation with his lord and Rin had left him concerned and he was very relieved to have found them in the woods, even if Naraku was attacking them. He motioned to the lesser demon and the creature set the carrier to the tile and left with a low bow in Sesshoumaru's presence.

"Jaken, find some suitable attire to replace the wo…Kagome's…strange apparel." Sesshoumaru commanded, only pausing to correct himself before he addressed Kagome like his brother addressed her, "and find Rin some appropriate foot wear." He knew it was a bad idea to bring her with him when he was sought after so greatly, but he also knew that Naraku wouldn't hesitate in using her against him if he'd managed to get a hold of her.

"Hey, what's wrong with my clothes?" Kagome asked with a slight huff, subconsciously gripping the material of his outer robes in her hands.

"They are not appropriate in this weather."

Kagome didn't believe that was his only reason, but she put it aside and peeked into the carrying bag to see what she could work with. He'd asked her if she could tend wounds, so she was assuming that was what he'd wanted her to do. She glanced up at Sesshoumaru, taking notice of the hanging sleeve. 'It wouldn't be easy wrapping your own wounds with only one arm', she supposed.

"Sesshoumaru, you're not going to slash me to ribbons if I wrap your wounds are you?" She asked meekly and trying to ignore the look Inuyasha was giving her.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Okay," She said, hoping that meant it was safe. She sifted through the carrier case and found a bundle of cloth tied by a string. There was an assortment of herbs and she noted that they were used for human afflictions. She was about to ask for water, but the servant demon returned with a small basin of sloshing water. The demon placed it beside her and retreated back into the castle, bowing once more before Sesshoumaru. Kagome slid the bucket closer to Sesshoumaru.

She kneeled behind him while he still sat on the step. She was easily able to assume that the reason they remained outside was to prevent a sneak attack by Naraku. It would be hard to sneak across the field to the castle without being noticed. Her hands wavered and she felt very awkward about helping him. This was, after all, the same guy who tried to kill her. Her hesitance drained away while looking at the red blot covering most of the back of his kimono. Inuyasha stood over her, watching her try to figure out how to go about doing this.

"Do you want me to wrap it around your chest, or over a shoulder and around?" She asked. It would be much more beneficial to wrap it over his shoulder. That way the bandages would be less likely to slide down. She didn't want to risk his anger, however, should he still be sensitive about his arm.

"Which ever way suits best," He replied and she was sure his ego, pride and dignity took a serious blow just by letting her—a human—tend to his wounds. He loosened his robes to fall from his shoulders and leave his abdomen bare.

Inuyasha reached forward without really thinking about his actions and he gathers Sesshoumaru's hair in one hand, lifting it away from the wound. Now he could actually see the damage. He almost stepped back from what he saw. He had seen his brother take worse hits and have less appalling marks left by it. The wound was small, but surrounding it about five inches in a large jagged oval pattern were blackish streaks over violet stained skin. "Holy fuck, Sesshoumaru!"

"Inuyasha, watch your mouth around Rin!" Kagome scolded, looking at the wound with a small amount of horror as well.

"Well geeze Kagome! That's not just a little puncture wound!" The dog-eared half demon exhaled, "Does it feel as bad as it looks?"

"No. It feels worse."

"Was that because of that seed looking thing?"

"Yes. Naraku's poison."

"That doesn't sound good, you know. Is there something we can do to heal it up? I'm sure there is a selection of herbs around here, if the ones provided couldn't help. I may know a thing or two." Kagome offered, but Sesshoumaru glanced over at his shoulder and with a blink she recognized that he did not want anything more than for her to clean and wrap it.

"While there is a plethora of herbs, this can be expelled in a short time." He said closing his eyes at the cold sensation brought on by the wet cloth Kagome gingerly pressed to his back. She was sure it was hurting him, but he didn't make that an obvious fact.

"Sesshoumaru? If I instruct Inuyasha, will you let him help me wrap your wound?" Kagome asked, actually feeling the demon lord's body becoming more lax.

He replied without bothering to open his eyes, "Do as you will."

She sat back and dipped a second cloth into the bucket, wringing it out as much as she could. She flicked it open and motioned for Inuyasha to move toward her. "I need you to try and clean the wound on the front so I can wrap it. It'll probably look as bad on that side as this side." She explained and handed the wet cloth to him. Had it not been for the severe appearance of that wound, he probably would have refused.

Inuyasha carefully walked around Sesshoumaru and moved in front of him. Sesshoumaru's eyes were still closed. 'He probably put himself in a short trance' Inuyasha thought to himself. That was the best way to avoid being overwhelmed by pain. He noted the difference in the front end of the wound. It was spread a lot more and actually looked like the exit wound was larger. Then he remembered Sesshoumaru pulling that seed out. He'd made the wound larger on purpose, which subsequently spread the poison. But the half demon shook that out of his mind and kneeled a few steps below his brother. If that wasn't the most awkward moment of his life, he wasn't sure what was. He was being careful around Sesshoumaru, not for the usual reasons of keeping himself safe, but for the order of helping Sesshoumaru tend to a wound!

Sesshoumaru ignored the pang that ran through his body. Naraku tried to track him through half of the woods of Japan to tire him out, then he tried to use Rin against him, and furthermore that monster thought poisoning him was going to bring him down? The wretched fool. The pain would recede once bandaged and the poison would be repelled by his body's own poisonous properties. Naraku had sorely underestimated him if he thought it would be an easy chase.

He was grateful to feel them actually wrapping the wound now. The cold wet feeling against his skin did not please him in the slightest. His brother's help had not pleased him either, but at this point he was just losing the will to care. His mind was subconsciously comparing his brother's touch to his father's. He remembered how his father would allow no other to tend his son's wounds and in his lifetime he'd been more wounded then he had been healthy, he was willing to guess. He couldn't help but recall these small things now that his father was long dead.

"Sesshoumaru, my son, you are a canvas for injuries." The Lord's voice had been caring, but also filled with amusement. "Ah, don't scowl, boy. Be proud that you at least paint the greatest pictures with the blood of your enemies. After all, your blood demands you put away your opposition with a certain deal of elegance." 

Sesshoumaru's mind filled with the words of his father, but he could not remember what he had said in response. In fact, he never could remember what he said, only his father. Back before Inuyasha became his father's sole focus. He repressed a growl at the reminder. What had happened to make his father no longer regard him the way he seemed to regard Inuyasha beyond his death?

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome's voice snapped him out of his trance, though he made no quick reaction to show it. "Your wound is wrapped. I hope it's not too tight." Her voice was sweet, almost sickeningly sweet. She reminded him of a less hyperactive Rin. He almost recoiled from her touch as soon as he felt her hand slide over his forehead. "You have a slight fever, but you said the poison would recede…so the fever should too."

He paused for a long time before uttering words he never wanted to hear himself say to a human, "thank you." Even in saying the words, he'd spoken very low and immediately wanted to bite his own tongue out.

Kagome smiled. She could see just by the look on his face that those words had practically tasted painful to him. She wrung out the washrags and beckoned Rin over to her with a wave. The girl was happy to bounce to her, with a small string of flowers in hand. Kagome grinned at the happy face of Sesshoumaru's little human daughter. She knew that the demon would probably kill her for calling Rin that, but in her mind that's what she was going to refer to the girl as.

"Let's get you cleaned up a little," She smiled at her. There was dirt smeared on her face and mud encrusted to her legs. Only Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had really fared well against the dirt and grim they'd been thrown about in. Kagome herself felt filthy.

"Lord Sesshoumaru said when I'm older, he'll teach me how to shoot an arrow!" She chirped, sitting on Kagome's knee while she scrubbed her arms.

Kagome put her hand on Rin's head and grinned wider, "Is that so? I'm sure you'll make a great archer Rin!"

"Say Sesshoumaru, won't that be kinda difficult with one arm?" Inuyasha taunted, once again.

"That depends, brother. I'm sure your arm will fit quite nicely."

"Okay you two, stop that." The modern girl scolded, "Geeze, you wouldn't think we were in any danger at all with the way you two act!"

Sesshoumaru looked squarely at Kagome and she gulped before he spoke, "This time, it was not I who started it."

Kagome's eyes widened and she was flabbergasted. 'Oh my god! They really are like childish brothers! Well…brothers who can actually kill each other…' She chuckled at bit. She could almost hear them going back and forth with their own special versions of: 'It's his fault!' followed by, 'Nuh uh! He started it!'

"So what do we do now?" Inuyasha asked, staring out to the fields. "I mean, if Naraku's coming after us, I would think that it would be the best thing to have a plan."

"For now, resting would be advisable. I am awaiting the confirmation that my fortress is secured."

"Ah, in case Naraku slips through?"

"Precisely." The two golden eyes of the elder brother fell over the identical eyes of the younger, "This fortress has the strongest guard of all the lands. Naraku will have no easy time tearing through my guard."

"I guess the old man really left you with a sound government." The half demon leaned his head against his knee and watched the wind sweep through the flowers and carry away petals.

"Father left me with the ability to soundly gain loyalty of my subjects."

"If he left you so much," Inuyasha looked over again, but with more hesitance than before. "Then why are you so pissed off about this sword?" He looked down, tapping the sheath, which held their father's fang.

"You," Sesshoumaru began, avoiding the bitter tone that would have come naturally, "would not understand."

"Damn you and that 'not understand' shit. Why don't you explain it to me then?!"

"If Naraku controlled me, do you think you could kill me?"

Inuyasha sat back, staring at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes and confusion expressed clearly on his face. "W-what?"

Sesshoumaru's face withheld its stoic, stony mask, "I asked you a simple question. If Naraku controlled me, the only true kin you have, would you be able to kill me?"

"…I…I don't know…" The half demon admitted honestly. He never really wanted to hate his brother, but the man never really gave him a choice and they were both very stubborn, which had only proved to make it worse over time.

"Then you are weak." Sesshoumaru stood, taking no caution to mask the wince when the pain flooded his senses. He leaned closer to Inuyasha, coming face to face with his brother. "I would kill you in a heart beat. And if you can't do the same…then I would be better killing myself now…than live with the knowledge that Naraku will strip me of my free will and you would rather leave me alive to remain in his hands than kill me. Hate you as I may, I would never leave your soul to rot away in a puppet's body." The demon lord stood up straight and looked down.

"How can you even say that? There's a difference between you and me. That difference would be humanity. You're lucky you don't have the grievances of being half human." Inuyasha stood up as if a thought had just hit him, "If I weren't the son of a human woman, would you hate me still?"

Sesshoumaru glared at him coldly but did not answer, showing the depths of his emotions to his brother for the first time. Prior to the heated topic, the brothers had never spared the time to bother with words over it; but now, when they actually had to rely on one another; there were no swords to stop the conversation's progress.

"If Tetsusaiga is the only reason you hate me with as much passion as you do, then fine, just take the fucking sword!"

"Tetsusaiga means nothing to me anymore."

Inuyasha's ears perked, "so…this whole 'hating me' deal never had anything to do with the damn swords!"

"The swords didn't help the matter any."

"You know what? You are a jackass! Do you even know why you can't stand me? Or is it just the fact that I'm half demon?"

Sesshoumaru swung his fist, missing the first shot when the half demon ducked; but nailing him in the gut the second time. "If I hated humans, would I have Rin following me like a lost puppy? Or would I have allowed the demon slayer's brother in my company?" He replied monotonously.

"I don't get you." Inuyasha growled, holding his hand to his abdomen. "You've clearly expressed your hatred for humans."

"I lied."

"You're full of shit!"

Kagome watched the scene in horror. The two were both standing, staring each other down like they were going to rip each other apart at any moment. Not that the scene was any different from any other occasion, but this time the brothers needed to stick together. They had a mutual enemy to deal with. She, however, had no intentions of stepping into that one. With them throwing fists like that, she was not willing to risk her safety. She held Rin close to her and silently watched. Inuyasha was getting fired up; but as usual, Sesshoumaru was cod as ice.

"You dare accuse me?" Sesshoumaru growled, fangs showing due to his agitation.

"I want to know what the real deal is." The half demon blurted, "I don't care if you continue to hate me for the rest of eternity! When Naraku is dead we'll fight anyway. You said it yourself: we're destined to fight until we die. But I want to know! I want to know what makes you loathe me as much as you do!"

"You want to know why I hate you? Why I have had to restrain myself from tearing you into ribbons, as your priestess would say? Because of you, my father died."

"How could I help that Sesshoumaru?! If anything you should be mad at him because he went off and got himself killed!"

"If you would shut your damn mouth," Sesshoumaru said with a low tone that was frighteningly angry, "you would understand my words. The day my father died, was the day you were conceived. And the day he became your father, not mine."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but he looked down. "How could I help that Sesshoumaru?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You asked for a reason, and I obliged you an answer." Sesshoumaru turned away from Inuyasha, his face dropping back into its stoic expression. "We are not here to have brotherly discussions. You are here because Naraku has become a very large threat. Don't forget that. If anything, find a reason to hate me back. Because when it comes down to it, he will find me and he will use me against you. That much is clear."

"You don't know that. You've evaded two damn near impossible traps!"

"What did I tell you about luck, half breed?"

"Yeah, well I believe in luck over giving up!"

"Answer my question again, little brother, if Naraku used me against you…If I were to point my sword in this girl's face," Sesshoumaru asked, drawing Tokijin from it's sheath and moving it's point within inches of Kagome's throat. "Would you have the audacity to put your precious Tetsusaiga to the test? The sword crafted by our mutual father to protect against those who threaten what you love?"

"Damn you Sesshoumaru, put Tokijin away. I get your damn point."

"You do not respond to questions well, I see." He said idly. He moved the sword's blade closer to Kagome's throat and the girls sat on the tile frozen, feeling the blade brush the side of her neck.

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga, allowing it to grow to its true size and darken until the blade was blood red. "If you want me to kill you Sesshoumaru, then fine. Naraku won't get whatever he wants out of you. But if you don't put that sword away, I may just kill you right fucking here and get it out of the way!"

"Oh? I would be delighted to see you try it." Sesshoumaru's eyes grew darker until they were crimson in color.

'What the hell is he doing?' Inuyasha thought, jumping away as Sesshoumaru swung Tokijin toward him. The tile blasted up from the steps, but Inuyasha was left unharmed. 'Wait…is he trying to get me to kill him?'

"What holds you back, half breed?"

"I'm not going to kill you, you crazy asshole! I don't know what you think you're accomplishing by this, but there are other ways to deal with this!"

"I've yet to conjure up a plan that will succeed, and neither have you. I will not be used. I would rather be dead!" The demon lord's sword pulsed in his hand and he swung it down with more force than before, successfully catching Inuyasha unguarded and throwing the younger brother down several dozen steps.

Inuyasha groaned, pushing himself up and to his feet. Tetsusaiga wavered in his hand as his balance became unsteady. He shook himself clear of the overwhelming nausea and stared up at Sesshoumaru. 'You must be pretty fucking scared, big brother."

Sesshoumaru looked down upon his brother. His mind was a clutter of many things. But as he stared down at the Tetsusaiga wielding foe before him, all he could think about were his father's words, once again.

"Sesshoumaru…you're afraid. Don't think this makes you weak. Fear makes us strong, son. I'm proud of you."

'You were never proud.' Sesshoumaru thought angrily. 'Before you died you were gone, still you are as dead to me as before!' He gripped Tokijin.

Kagome's breathing hitched. They were going to seriously fight! She didn't want to watch them kill each other, but there was nothing she could do. She stood and backed away, pulling Rin with her until they were pressed against a large pillar close to the building. She didn't' want to see Inuyasha get hurt, but she didn't want to see Inuyasha kills Sesshoumaru either. 'Sesshoumaru looks so pale,' she thought to herself. She gasped watching his movements. They weren't as precise as usual. His attacks were shaky. He was showing physical sighs of weariness…

Kagome stepped forward, "Inuyasha! Don't fight him! He's delirious!"

"I am not delirious, woman." The icy octaves of the lord's voice sent a chill through Kagome. "I am thinking with a very clear mind!" He listed Tokijin and the sword pulsed waves of energy.

"Kagome, get down!" Inuyasha bellowed, "Sesshoumaru, now that I know what's wrong with you, I won't have any problem kicking your ass!" He shouted, leaping up the steps toward his brother, taking Tokijin head on.

**To be continued…**


	7. Underneath the Skin

**The Fragile **  
_Chapter 7 – Underneath the Skin_

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha's voice rang loudly in my ears. He charged up the steps straight at Sesshoumaru. I was afraid. If I had known this would happen, I would have subdued Inuyasha. They had been coexisting well enough until they started to talk! Inuyasha didn't listen to me at all. Sesshoumaru's skin was drained of its color and he looked like he shouldn't have even been standing! This would not be a fair fight!

"Inuyasha don't!" I screamed as loud as I could, but it fell on deaf ears. Sesshoumaru's Tokijin and Tetsusaiga collided with a force that forced both participants back, but Inuyasha was able to push Sesshoumaru further. Now Inuyasha was also standing on the platform, rather than the steps. There was fierceness in his eyes. Did he know something that I didn't?

"Sesshoumaru, if you think for one minute that I'm going to fall for what ever you're putting me up to, you are sadly mistaken!" I had expected Inuyasha to follow up with a slash of Tetsusaiga, but instead he flung the sword to the side, taking Tokijin's blade to the side as well and he slammed his knee into Sesshoumaru's gut. Sesshoumaru slid back on the tile, but didn't drop to the ground. His face barely even reflected the pain he must have felt from the blow! 'What's going on?' I wondered to myself.

Sesshoumaru lifted Tokijin in front of him, once more. He was persistent. I give him that. The bandages that we had wrapped were already soaked through with blood from his reopened wound. What was he thinking? There was no way he _couldn't_ be delirious!

"Raise that blade to me Sesshoumaru! I'm challenging you!"

'No Inuyasha! Don't challenge him! Something's wrong!' I thought, but refrained from speaking. Inuyasha wouldn't listen to me anyway.

Inuyasha lifted Tetsusaiga high in the air and I knew what he was going to do. He was sniffing out the Wind Scar. There was no way Sesshoumaru would be able to defend against the Wind Scar in his state! And Rin had Tenseiga, so it couldn't protect him! I threw my hands over my mouth and my breathing stopped when he slashed through the air. The blasts that flowed off Tetsusaiga all collided with Sesshoumaru and Tokijin couldn't stand up to the force. Sesshoumaru hit the tile, cracking the very foundation. I couldn't take it any more. I unlatched myself from Rin and began to run toward him.

"Stop Kagome." Inuyasha growled, holding out his arm to stop me.

"Why are you doing this!? You're going to kill him at this rate!"

"No, I wont. Now step back!" He said, pushing me away from him and back toward my place next to Rin. I breathed in shortly when Sesshoumaru picked himself up. 'He shouldn't be standing!' But he was. Tokijin had not left his grip.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin cried, and I held her to me. If she ran out into their fray she would be hurt.

"You think you're clever…" Inuyasha mumbled. He dashed toward Sesshoumaru who had not yet even recovered from the last attack. All the demon lord could do was raise Tokijin in defense of himself. Inuyasha seemed to take that into account and forced Tetsusaiga down on Tokijin. They struggled against each other. Blade verses blade. Inuyasha pulled his sword back. I was concerned for why he would relent to Sesshoumaru's strength, but he swung again and when Tokijin's blade trembled I knew what he was doing.

He was going to break Tokijin.

"That's it Sesshoumaru. Keep coming at me." Inuyasha jumped back and circled his brother. This seemed too surreal. Inuyasha seemed like a shark surrounding his prey. This was all so wrong. Inuyasha never had the upper hand to start. Why was Sesshoumaru taking this so passively? He lunged at Sesshoumaru again. This time his swing came at full strength. The blade connected with Tokijin and the opposing sword could not take the pressure.

Tokijin cracked.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and that look of realization passed over his face before settling back into a mask of indifference. The rest of the broken sword was thrown from his hand and to my surprise Inuyasha dropped Tetsusaiga. Tetsusaiga reverted to its smaller size and Inuyasha went straight at Sesshoumaru with his claws. Blood splattered the tile and Rin's shrieking cries echoed through the land.

Inuyasha's claws dug into Sesshoumaru's already made wound and the demon lord could do nothing but gasp at the sudden attack. Inuyasha's free hand gripped Sesshoumaru's forearm and he ripped his claws free of his brother's abdomen. His hand was covered in the dark blood and his fist was clenched tightly. Sesshoumaru slumped in Inuyasha's grip. He appeared to no longer be able to hold himself up.

"Naraku thinks he's one smart bastard, doesn't he?' Inuyasha let out an indignant chuckle. "Well, he's got another thing coming!" Inuyasha snorted at me and opened his hand to reveal what appeared to be a jewel shard. But wait…wouldn't I have felt the presence of a jewel shard? …Unless it was a fake! "Naraku was already trying to control Sesshoumaru. That 'seed' was a decoy."

"How did you know Inuyasha?" I asked, running toward them. It finally seemed safe to approach.

"I knew it the moment he drew Tokijin, but I suspected it when he started talking. What he said might have been true, but Sesshoumaru would never speak so openly to me, of all people. Naraku doesn't think I know Sesshoumaru well enough."

"Well, he was wrong this time." I nodded, kneeling to come face to face with Sesshoumaru. He was only held in a vertical position because of Inuyasha's hold on his arm. His eyes were blank and I was sure he was unable to respond. "We need to get him help Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned to Rin, who was sniffling. "Go find the Imp, Jaken. Get him to find us some help." Rin nodded fiercely and ran into the castle as quickly as her legs seemed to be able to take her.

Inuyasha let go of Sesshoumaru and we moved him flat on the tile. I started stripping off the bandages, but I didn't need to remove them to see that the poison had spread. It looked bad, but at least he source of the poison was gone. If he could fight out the poison he would be okay. 'Sesshoumaru is probably going to have a fit over this.' I thought to myself.

"Damn it…" Inuyasha's voice trailed on the breeze that seemed to pick up, "This means Naraku knows where we are…I wonder how long before he finds us?"

"Hopefully not too soon." I replied, pulling the robes, given to me by Sesshoumaru, from my shoulders to place over the bleeding wound.

"Well, he's lost his tracking item." The half demon snorted. I looked up to watch his close his fist over the fake shard and crush it into powder. "He's going to have to do better than that. Feh, like Sesshoumaru would seriously ever beg me to kill him. He'd rather kill himself, if I know the bastard."

"But if that's the case, Inuyasha, then Naraku's puppetry is much more powerful than before! If he can control the living without a golem…it makes me wonder why he didn't try to simply control all of us?" I looked up at him and he wrinkled his nose in the same consideration. He turned to pick Tetsusaiga up and re sheath it.

"That's a good damn question."

"Perhaps," spoke a voice from an unseen source. "It is because of my lord's demon blood?" Out from the shadows stepped that man from before. The one who bore a similar appearance to Sesshoumaru, save for the single long strand of bluish black hair that I had not noticed before.

Inuyasha growled and lifted Tetsusaiga to point at the demon, "don't sneak up on me like that, damn it! I'm on edge already!"

"Many apologies, Lord Inuyasha." The demon half bowed with a smirk beneath the long strand of hair crowding his face. Inuyasha stepped back at the use of such an honorary term. "I merely wished to express my concern. I saw what happened. My lord needs attention immediately!" His eyes looked back to Inuyasha and the half demon nodded without a thought. He could ask him why he didn't make his presence known sooner, but at a later time. For the moment, his brother was half dead on the front steps of his own castle. Talk about poor luck.

I recalled Sesshoumaru's words, "I do not appreciate luck. Because luck runs out…" Inuyasha slid Tetsusaiga back into place, and I'm sure he was feeling a little relieved that Tokijin was in broken fragments. Tokijin posed a huge threat in Sesshoumaru's hands, but now it was nothing more than pieces of metal scattered on the ground. 

I watched Inuyasha and the other guy, Koumaijii, lifted the unconscious demon into a vertical position. Each took a side and they walked him into the castle. I hesitantly picked the Tenseiga from the floor after Rin had abandoned it to find Jaken. I ran after them. I was a little concerned whether or not it was a good idea to go into the castle, when there was no assurance of a sound alert system for if Naraku were to come through.

"What was your name again?" Inuyasha's voice echoed in the closed corridor that was leading into a clearly larger courtyard area.

"I am Koumaijii, Lord Inuyasha."

"Hey, would ya stop calling me 'lord'. I'm not Sesshoumaru."

"Very well then," Koumaijii's voice trailed and he could never add on to his statement, for Jaken and Rin appeared down the hall once more.

"I have gathered Lord's Sesshoumaru's attendants!" Jaken called, "They will attend to him in his personal quarters!" The green imp's tone wavered in his concern for his lord.

"Very well, we'll take him there." Koumaijii nodded and turned to Inuyasha for approval. Inuyasha looked at him stupidly, as if he wasn't sure why he was being consulted. He nodded as well and they continued, following Jaken. Something seemed very odd about Koumaijii. He was so painfully loyal, it made me wonder just how many of Sesshoumaru's supporters were as devoted. I already knew Rin and Jaken were.

Speaking of Rin, she trailed behind them to walk next to me. She took my hand, still trembling a little from the growing trail of blood that passed just between us. She hadn't been expecting what had just taken place and neither had I. In fact, I was still shaking a little myself. I kept thinking of how little effort it took for Naraku to get even a slight hold on a powerful individual like Sesshoumaru; powerful enough to repress Goshinki's hatred that had overwhelmed the Tokijin.

We walked into the main corridor of the castle, or at least that side of the castle. There were several demons scattered about, some of them were even in a panic. Two of them immediately took Sesshoumaru from the graph of Inuyasha and Koumaijii. The two stood dumbfounded. Within instants, they had taken Sesshoumaru and were already gone with him. One man stayed behind to assure them he would be taken care of and they would be informed when he was stable. Their quick attention was impressive. No wonder Sesshoumaru was such an influential figure in the demon world. He had more loyalties than anything I'd ever seen!

Inuyasha scowled. I assumed it was because he felt like they were throwing him under the bridge now that Sesshoumaru was back in their hands. I was glad that they hadn't assumed that Inuyasha was the one to put him in that state. I'm sure if Koumaijii hadn't liked Inuyasha it would have been very easy to pin the blame and have every demon in that fortress after Inuyasha's head.

"Now what do we do? Waiting around for permission to see if my brother isn't dead is going to kill me."

"You never cared before, Inuyasha." I smirked with a lighthearted taunt.

"Oh shut up!" He flattened his ears and looked away form me. Whether he liked to admit it or not, he didn't hate his brother as much as he said. He showed signs of that many times. If anything, I think Sesshoumaru was to thank for Inuyasha getting stronger so quickly. Of course, I bet that would eat Sesshoumaru alive to know it was half his own fault that Inuyasha had beaten him so many times.

"I can find places for you to rest yourselves up, if you'd like." Koumaijii offered.

"That would be nice."

"Inuyasha, I don't want to be split up from you while I'm here." I whispered, tugging on his sleeve. "I'm human and I'm not related to Sesshoumaru…so they would have no problem with eating me…"

"I assure you, young lady, we don't eat humans here…well…entirely too often, at any rate." He smiled, but I couldn't help the chilled wave that crawled up my spine. The 'too often' didn't help me feel any better, whatsoever.

"Yeah…that's comforting," I chuckled nervously, clutching tighter to Inuyasha. I hadn't felt afraid when we were on the outside, but now surrounded by so many demons…I had a little more to fear. What with being a human that hadn't been 'guarded' by Sesshoumaru.

"Kagome can stay with Rin!" The cheerful girl squeaked next to me. "Rin would like that very much!" She held fast to my hand and I slowly released the red cloth of Inuyasha's sleeve. If I had Rin with me, I was sure no one would touch me. As it stood, I could only imagine what Sesshoumaru would do to the demon that hurt Rin in any way.

"Okay…" I replied slowly. "I could stay with you Rin."

"Very well then. Lady Rin can take you to where you will be." He nodded. Rin skipped around him, pulling me with her. I felt so weird just leaving Inuyasha's side like that, but I knew I had no reason to worry. I guessed I was just being paranoid after what happened at the castle's entrance.

We turned the corner and Inuyasha was out of sight. I had to shake myself free of this dreadful feeling. In all that had happened in that short period of time, I had still yet to collect the thoughts and put things together. The basics were all I was concrete with. I had still so many questions needing of answers. Like what was Naraku actually planning? If he had all these powers, why didn't he just attack us outright? How did he get that much more of the Jewel? Why had Kagura been following us? And why didn't either Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru make any indication that they had seen her? I knew they had picked up on her scent. Even I could smell the scent of death on the wind that followed her.

"Lady Kagome? What's wrong?" Rin asked, stopping and turning around to look up at me with large innocent eyes. If this is what Sesshoumaru saw everyday, I had to wonder how he hadn't managed to melt into a puddle and hug her constantly. He must really have been made of ice.

"Oh nothing Rin, I'm just thinking. A lot has happened, hasn't it?" I smiled and a thought occurred to me. "Hey Rin, what happened before you and _Lord_ Sesshoumaru found us by the well?"

Rin blinked, "Lord Sesshoumaru, Master Jaken, and I were traveling! Naraku appeared and asked Lord Sesshoumaru to join him against Inuyasha! Lord Sesshoumaru called him a 'bastard' and told him 'no'!" She said with her little fist clenched. "Naraku attacked us with the long branches that came from his arms! Lord Sesshoumaru grabbed me and jumped from the cliff, leaving Jaken behind! That's how my lord's armor broke!"

"So Sesshoumaru was approached by Naraku? Did he say anything else other than that Rin?"

"He said something, but I can't remember. I'll try to think! If I can remember I will tell you right away!"

"That's okay Rin," I laughed, "I was just curious. So," I started to change subjects, "where are you taking me Rin?"

"Oh! I want to show you where my lord lets me stay! Rin has clothing for a grown girl that you could wear!"

"Oh that's sweet of you! I wouldn't mind getting out of these dirty clothes!" I laughed. I was dirty, sun burnt, and splotched with blood.

Rin looked back at me and stopped. She slid a door open and pulled me through the doorway. I was led into a large opening, a bedroom of sorts. There was a large open door that led out to a small garden area littered with flowers and a small spring to the far end. "This is the place Lord Sesshoumaru gave me! He said it would be perfect for me, because it has a garden with flowers! I planted this these in the spring!" She pointed to some very lovely river lotuses. I was not surprised at the variety of flowers. I was sure that Sesshoumaru had the power to get her any exotic item or living thing that she wanted had she asked.

"Wow, they're lovely!"

"Take one! I put them in my hair!" Rin grinned ear to ear and pulled a little flower and lifted it to me. I took it and she only seemed to get happier. I pushed the flower behind my ear and adjusted it a little. I felt a little giddy. I hadn't been used to acting like a girl. I was kind of nice. I turned to find Rin already rooting through something else in a large Chinese looking chest.

"What are you looking for?"

She lifted out several large blankets and set them on the floor, "I found them!" She lifted, from the chest, a kimono. It was a simple kimono, but the designed were beautifully detailed and it looked like it had been treasured. It was obviously a demon's kimono, so it would be relatively convenient should a battle take place. Which reminded me I would have to acquire a bow and quiver of arrows very soon. "These are the kimonos Lord Sesshoumaru told me to hold on to until I can fit them! Master Jaken was supposed to bring _these_ to you when lord Sesshoumaru asked him to bring new clothing for you!"

"These belonged to Sesshoumaru, then?" I asked with an eyebrow raised. These were very clearly women's kimonos. I couldn't even fathom the idea of the great demon lord cross dressing in them. He had a feminine appearance already, these would make him the next most nominated demon bride of the year, had he ever gotten the crazy idea to actually wear them. I almost giggled at the very thought of that.

"He didn't tell me where he got them. But he brought them to me to keep safe! He said they were very important!"

I had to wonder about that. Why would these kimonos be so important? Unless they were worn by someone important to him. Or perhaps, that person who had worn them no longer did. 'Maybe he had a girlfriend.' I thought, holding the soft material in my arms. 'Oh that's ridiculous! Demons don't have girlfriends! Especially not Sesshoumaru!' I couldn't help but want to know whose they were. I would have felt very strange wearing clothes that might have belonged to a past mate of his. That very idea made me feel like Kikyo all over again. When I wore her clothes, I was immediately compared to her and really…he'd never stopped comparing me to her. I grimaced.

"He won't mind if I wear these…will he, Rin?"

"Oh, no, Lady Kagome! He wouldn't mind, I'm sure of it!" She assured, but I still felt a little odd about it. I guess we would have to see. Eventually he would recover and if he was severely angry about it then I could always remove them. "Oh! Lady Kagome! I remember what else Naraku said!" She gasped, catching my attention more strongly than before. "I just remembered! He said it in a low voice but I heard him say; 'You belong to me, dog demon.' I cant' remember the rest…"

"That's okay Rin, thank you for telling me." A patted her shoulders. I smiled, but now I was seriously concerned. This meant that Naraku had another ulterior motive.

**To be continued…**_  
_

* * *

_ Leo: Sorry for the delay, to be honest, I forgot about this story (and a few others) due to other pressing matters. Didn't mean to hold out on you. Many thanks to those who've read so far. I'm going to say it one more time before I continue: **this story will not follow the original to a T. **As far as this goes. I'm writing it to what I want. And I won't alter my original plan. If you don't like it. You don't like it, and I'm okay with that.   
_


	8. Sanctified

**The Fragile**  
_Chapter 8 – Sanctified_

Inuyasha stood by a large open door, staring out at the fields. The sun was resting not far from the horizon and soon darkness would fall. He sighed, leaning against the doorway. He never thought he'd find himself all the way in his brother's lands. Hell, he'd never even been to his brother's lands before. He had had no idea how much power their father had retained while he was alive and now that Sesshoumaru owned it, he realized that Sesshoumaru was essentially as powerful. He felt a little guilty, now that he was thinking back on the short-lived fight between them. It was impossible to say which words were his and which were Naraku's, but he got the impression that Sesshoumaru's explanation for his hatred for him was from his brother's own thoughts.

'It's not like I could help being born.' Inuyasha thought to himself. 'And it's not my fault that the old man couldn't treat both of us the same.' There was no denying that, in following his father's death, Inuyasha seemed to get the better heirlooms; but in reality, Sesshoumaru got his father's lands and status. The half demon thought of it as fair, but he wasn't a full demon, nor was he a bitter older half brother that actually _knew_ their father personally. So he guessed it wasn't up to him to decide what was fair.

As stupid as it seemed, Inuyasha had often imagined what it would have been like had he known his father. Or had he known the better side of his brother, had there even been a better side to speak of. He was sure that at one point, Sesshoumaru had been a more pleasant person. Something had to have changed him. But he was not going to ask Sesshoumaru. That was too personal and they weren't meant to be friends.

"What's on your mind?" Koumaijii's voice interrupted the half demon's thoughts.

Inuyasha turned to spare a glance at the dog-demon advisor. "Nothing, just a little distorted by all that's happened. It's been a crazy few days for us." He sighed, thinking about Miroku, Sango and even Shippou. They were going to be worried about them. It was one thing for Kagome to go home, but it was another thing for Inuyasha to vanish out of the blue, especially if the two of them were fighting.

"It doesn't seem to be 'nothing'. If you don't mind my saying." The demon didn't smile exactly, but there was mirth in his eyes. He seemed to be mildly amused with a trace of remaining concern that had made itself present when Sesshoumaru had been injured.

"I guess it's not. But it's not important anyway." Inuyasha replied with a snort. He paused and glanced back to Koumaijii. "Say, you've been around my brother for a long time right?"

"Yes, I have, since he was very young. I served your father as well." The silver haired demon replied with a smile evident.

"I never met my father and I've never really had a good relationship with Sesshoumaru…I guess it would be too much to ask you to tell me a little bit about them?" He asked, his ears twitching ever so slightly atop his head.

"Well, I don't see what it would hurt. Your father would have encouraged me to tell you." Koumaijii stepped through the doorway and turned back to the half demon. "Come, well sit by the spring and I'll tell you what I know whilst we wait for Lord Sesshoumaru's status."

"Okay," Inuyasha nodded. He loosened the belt that held Tetsusaiga and pulled the sheathed weapon from his side to lean against the door. He followed Koumaijii, only glancing back at Tetsusaiga briefly. He knew he wouldn't need it, but it had become a habit to carry around.

Koumaijii lowered himself to sit on the raised foundation where he could easily hand his legs over the platform and not have them touch the ground. Inuyasha sat to the left of him, with a bit of distance between the two. Friend or foe, he was not comfortable being too close to someone. "So, Inuyasha, what would you like to know?"

"Well…first, I'd like to know a little bit about my brother…I'm not really sure on a particular place to start…but I know nothing about him…"

"Ah, well then I could tell you a few things you don't know! For instance, your brother has already died once."

"Say…what!?" Inuyasha blinked, trying to hide the absolute alarm.

"It happened when he was very young, barely older than the young Lady Rin, which is probably why he revived Rin, using Tenseiga as he told me."

"He used Tenseiga?"

"We'll get to that. Just be patient," Koumaijii grinned warmly. There was much to talk about and plenty of time with which to do it. "Your brother was born very sick. He has a very rare trait in our race. Dog demons do not generally have poisonous properties in our bodies. Neither of his parents did; but he, strangely enough, did. When he was very young, his body did not seem to accept the powerful toxin. In essence, he was poisoning himself. It was because of this that Lord Sesshoumaru could not defend himself completely when a pair of female panther demons attacked him when he'd wandered off. He killed the two demons, but was badly wounded. He made his way back to this castle and bled to death before he could make it to the top step."

Inuyasha listened very intently. He would have never even thought of Sesshoumaru being sick. It absolutely baffled him to think that the very thing he used against the half demon as a weapon, had plagued his strong brother. "What happened after that?" He found himself asking.

"Well, your father smelt his son's blood and went to him immediately. He'd disrupted a very important diplomatic meeting to go to Lord Sesshoumaru. By that time several other demons had cone to the young lord's assistance; but when your father arrived to see his beloved child dead and clawed by those panthers, he was more furious than I had ever seen him in my long years of servitude! He used Tenseiga for the first time. It was new and he wasn't sure it would even work, but miraculously it had! Even with Lord Sesshoumaru alive again, your father was in rage. He learned more of what happened and finally it resulted in a declaration of war. That battle never really settled and both sides have been enemies since then."

"Wow…I guess I can see why Sesshoumaru would resent those panthers now…" Inuyasha said, still a little amazed. "How did Sesshoumaru ever get passed his sickness?"

"His intolerance to his own toxin? He was a frail boy, but as he grew older he grew a little stronger. It wasn't until his father let him hold Sounga for the first time, that he was able to conquer his weakness."

"Father _let_ Sesshoumaru hold Sounga?"

"Sounga was the sword handed down from your ancestors, but it was possessed. Lord Sesshoumaru was able to wield it without succumbing to it's evil. As a result of this strenuous effort to overcome such a powerful sword, he learned how to overcome his sickness. At the same time, he proved to his father that he was pure. Now whether that is still true, I am not sure, but Lord Sesshoumaru has and will always be your father's miracle." He paused and looked at Inuyasha, "Not that you're no miracle. It's just that Lord Sesshoumaru was not predicted to live beyond early childhood. Your father never expressed his thoughts to either of his sons. You were much too young, and Lord Sesshoumaru was progressing so quickly; but my late lord loved you both in ways that a demon should not love. You could certainly say he was proud of you both."

"…I wish I could have gotten to know him. And Sesshoumaru…before he started to loathe my very existence."

"I'm sure that in time you two will come to terms. Your father predicted there would be a riff between you. He never could understand Lord Sesshoumaru and I don't either; but if there's one thing true about your family's bloodline, it's that you will stick together when it comes down life or death of anyone you care about. My late lord and his own father were much the same. They disagreed on many things; but when threatened, they were a force to be reckoned with."

The dog-eared half demon considered a few things while he was listening to Koumaijii. This demon knew a great deal about most of his family, it seemed. He was certain that there were things that Koumaijii had not told Sesshoumaru and many things were going to be kept from him as well. He had to wonder if this was more part of his father's grand plan. His old man seemed to have completely thought out the course of action the brothers would take after he'd died. It was incredible. "Why are you telling me all of this?" He finally asked.

"Because your father would have wished it and I personally think it would be wise for you to know your family's history a little at least…In case…"

"In case Sesshoumaru loses to Naraku?" Inuyasha snorted with a scowl.

"You can't deny that it is a possibility. Should something happen my lord, then you will be the last heir and I'm sure Lord Sesshoumaru would much rather see the lands that belonged to his father go to you, than fall in the hands of the Panther Clan."

"I see…so I guess there's a lot of things that you aren't going to tell me…Just like the things you're keeping from my brother?"

"It's nice of you to assume, Inuyasha," The demon said, looking squarely at the half demon, "but you are correct in such assumptions. Your father was a particular man. I was told specifically what I could not say to each of you. For instance, Sesshoumaru does not know that Tenseiga revived him. He was too young to remember and you are _not_ to tell him. Tenseiga will awaken Sesshoumaru's memories, just like Tetsusaiga will guide you when the time calls."

"So, you've been waiting for the time I would actually appear?"

"Somewhat. Your father suspected it would happen eventually. Your father has never been wrong as far as I am aware."

Inuyasha leaned his head against his elbow that was perched against his knee, "This is all so confusing."

"Of course it is. Just as confusing as your father's uncanny ability to predict the future, or at least that's what he seemed to do." The demon laughed.

"…Too bad I never met the man. I guess all I have to rely on is Sesshoumaru…and that's not looking to good right now."

"Cheer up, Sesshoumaru's not that bad of a guy if you're on his good side." The demon's words weren't very much comfort.

"That's the problem." Inuyasha sighed, watching the wind wrestle with the limbs in the large cherry blossom tree. 'Sesshoumaru hates me.'

Sesshoumaru felt hot. His room felt stifling and he couldn't explain why. He vaguely remembered bits and pieces of what happened. Inwardly he grimaced. One of the few things that were clear in his mind was Inuyasha's stomping defeat of him and the breaking of his Tokijin. He cared less about Tokijin. After all, it was a meager weapon by comparison to what he could have made out of Tetsusaiga and he found himself depending on Tenseiga to protect himself more, anyway. He was relieved that Tenseiga had not been the sword in his hand at the time, though he would never openly admit that. Still, Tokijin had been shattered by Tetsusaiga. That could have only meant that Inuyasha was merely disarming his enemy. After all, one would deduct, that if he had the power to break a sword like that then he could have seriously injured Sesshoumaru or worse.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, please do not move. Milord you are injured!" Jaken's whiny voice slipped into his head and grated on his already aching brain.

"Silence Jaken." Sesshoumaru snapped shortly, moving only his arm to brush away the hair sticking to his face. He recognized his surrounding. He was in his own quarters, lying in his own bed, and covered in heaps of blankets and heavily bandaged. 'What fool was thinking I would need warmth when it's so hot?' He thought, kicking off the blankets casually.

"My lord…"

"Jaken, be quiet." Sesshoumaru didn't have the energy to growl, but that was his original intention. He sat up and grimaced at the state of his being. He was fortunate that he could move, but he felt almost unwilling to. He brushed the long silver strands of his hair out of his face with his right hand. "Jaken, where is Inuyasha?" He asked after many moments of silence.

"He is with Koumaijii, my lord." The imp replied instantly.

He was with Koumaijii. For some reason that sounded very out of place. As far as he remembered, Koumaijii had been in the southern lands. When had he returned? He brushed the fleeting concern away and held on to his impassive face. He slid his feet under him and slowly lifted himself to a standing position. He closed his eyes to block out the swirling motion and he ignored Jaken's frantic banter.

He opened his eyes and steadied himself. He was more injured than he had considered, but he was not less able to move if necessity called. He brushed passed Jaken, not acknowledging the Imp that he'd kicked across the room in walking toward his destination. He quickly noticed how dark it was. He must have been incapacitated for hours. Only dim light shone through out the thin walls of his castle. He was not alarmed by the shadows that moved about in the night, but he was alarmed by the quiet sound of laughter coming from the direction of Rin's little living quarters.

He made no change in pace, but he did change direction. The closer he walked barefoot in the hall the louder the laughter got. He could easily identify Rin's cheeky laugh. The girl was always smiling or laughing, or more recently being kidnapped and screaming. He hated hearing her scream in fear. It was a bold and suicidal bastard who thought he could kidnap Sesshoumaru's property and live. The laughter trailed into whispering and he found himself standing just outside the closed door to the room he'd given her. He listened for a moment.

"Rin, you must see so much around here!" The priestess's voice filled the silence.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is so strong, so I never feel afraid! I play with Kohaku a lot. I'm afraid now though, Lady Kagome…What's going to happen? I worry for my lord."

"I don't know Rin, I'm afraid too. I don't want to see Sesshoumaru in pain either."

Sesshoumaru lifted his arm to push the sliding door slightly. He could se the two of them sitting by the open door to the outside with a single candle lit behind them. Rin was leaned against Kagome's side and the priestess had an arm draped over the girl protectively. It was then he noticed the Kimono Kagome was wearing. The delicate patterns suited her well and surprisingly she filled the kimono to the same degree that the original owner had.

"It suits you." His voice carried through the room and Kagome turned her head quickly. She saw the figure standing in the half open doorway. She turned to face him more.

"You're awake." She marveled. "Are you sure you should be up and about, you…" She trailed off. "Never mind, I won't question you. The great Sesshoumaru knows what he's doing I'm sure." She smiled. "Oh, I guess you noticed I'm wearing the kimono. I'm sorry if it bothers you…"

'This girl speaks too much', Sesshoumaru thought to himself. "It doesn't bother me."

"I'm sure that Inuyasha will tell you all that happened…I'm sorry I didn't stop him from breaking Toukijin. I know I could have…but I…"

"Don't dwell on the past." Sesshoumaru ignored her attempts to apologize and brushed them off as another side effect of her human disposition. "Sleep. Morning may spring new problems." He said before he slid the door shut again. He heard Rin's shouts of: 'Good night, my lord'. But as always he paid them no mind.

He stepped away from the door and proceeded down the hall in the direction he was initially going in, only stopping for a brief moment to peek in on Kohaku, curious to see if the boy was still there. He was. Sesshoumaru didn't think Kohaku would wake for a while since his sickness set in. It would pass. Then perhaps he could leave Rin with Kohaku and have no distractions in combating Naraku.

"Hey, look who's finally awake."

Sesshoumaru turned his head toward the loud voice that almost seemed as clumsy as it's owner. He turned around, "And here I was assuming you would find yourself a dog kennel to sleep in, Inuyasha."

"Heh," Inuyasha snorted derisively, "No sweeter in your words now than you were before I see. So Sesshoumaru, tell me what the hell is going on here." He folded his arms. "What aren't you telling us?"

"You tell me and I'll tell you, half breed."

"Tell you? What am I supposed to tell you? You know more than I do."

"Tell me why Toukijin is broken and what happened."

"What the hell Sesshoumaru! You were **there**! You were the one who provoked me! I know that Naraku was at fault for that but…wait a minute…" Inuyasha dropped his shoulders and took a step back, "you don't remember do you?"

"I did when I woke. But I can not recall now."

Inuyasha thought a moment. That phenomenon sounded familiar. You wake up remembering clearly then you forget as if it didn't happen. You remember the whole thing but none of the details. Like remembering having a dream, but not what the dream was about, "Sesshoumaru, I think Naraku had you sleep walking."

"That even sounds absurd." Sesshoumaru looked at him with passive doubt.

"It may sound absurd, but it's true. I'll tell you everything that happened if you tell me what transpired between you and Naraku. If Kagome and I are in on this, I want to know exactly what we're getting into."

"Very well. I agree to it." Sesshoumaru replied. Whether or not he was willing to admit it or accept it, there was only truth in the fact that he could not withstand Naraku alone.

_To be Continued…_


	9. We're In This Together

**The Fragile  
**_Chapter 9 – We're In This Together_

Rin was sleeping at my side. I sat up on the futon and stared out into the lightless night. The quiet bothered me a lot. Naraku hadn't appeared yet and I wondered if he would, or if he would wait until light again. Maybe he was waiting for us to drop our guard. I placed a hand on Rin's head and patted her dark hair. It was not an unbelievable idea for Naraku to try and use Rin against him. So she was potentially in danger. But at that moment, I didn't want to think about that. Besides, Sesshoumaru's castle was well protected, or at least I hoped.

I shifted and slid down under the blanket with Rin. She was shivered a little. The cold air was getting to her from the opening her little feet were making as they poked out from under the blanket. I smiled and pulled the blanket over her feet. This child was amazingly lucky. Not only did she have a great home for a human girl, but Sesshoumaru seemed determined to care for her. Unfortunately, that made her a target too. But Sesshoumaru never let her down before. I was hoping Inuyasha would help his brother keep it that way. Truthfully, we could have used the help in fighting off the demon that managed to ruin more lives than I could count on one hand.

I fought the sudden urge to jump up when I remembered Sango and Miroku. They were probably so worried! But there was nothing we could do to send them a word that we were okay. They probably looked for us, saw the 'battlefield' and started a large scale search. It made me wish I could use a cell phone in this time…but there were no wireless towers and nothing to connect to…The only thing that would possibly work in this era, were walkie talkies…and even then…they would only work for a short distance. I exhaled, trying to push off my worry. Lamenting about the lack of technology would certainly not make me feel any better. Actually, it was making me miss home on top of other things.

Rin's little hand grasped the front of my, or rather someone's, kimono. I needed to stop thinking and try to sleep a little. I think it was her unconscious way of telling me so. I would be no use to anyone if I was half asleep. And who knew when we would get this chance again. I pulled the blanket high over both of us, to trap in the warmth. I felt happy cuddling her. It made me feel like a big sister, or a really young mom. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if I would have any children.

My sleep was fitful. I drifted in and out because my mind was on so many other things. Inuyasha hadn't come to me yet and I didn't know what we were planning on doing yet. Or whether or not Sesshoumaru was still up and about. He had looked a little sickly and had sported a hallow look in his eyes.

I couldn't take the anxiety, so I slid out of Rin's grasp and silently removed myself from under the blanket. Hopefully she was a heavy enough sleeper that she wouldn't notice me slip out of the room for just a second. I glanced around the dark room for a second. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but that didn't make me feel any less vulnerable, knowing that I was in a castle of demons. I tiptoed toward the sliding door and opened it wide enough that I could just fit through. I knew there would be other creatures out and about, and they probably could detect me moving, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be cautious.

I followed the wall until I spotted a section of light. There was a torch held fast into a stand on the wall. I breathed a short sigh of relief. "I guess even demons need to see." I whispered to myself without thinking.

"What are ye doing in the hall, milady?" A voice erupted into the silence behind me and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned around quickly and stepped back unsteadily, catching myself with the wall's help.

"I…! I didn't mean to disturb anyone!" I whispered quickly. "I was just worried! I've been waiting for someone to tell me something and I thought maybe I could find something out if I wandered out! I'm sorry! I-"

"Relax, Lady. I'm not going to hurt you." He replied stepping into the light.

I blinked at the form for a second before I realized who it was. "Oh, you're Koumaijii! I'm sorry…I must have sounded crazy. I'm just…really uneasy about being here." I said stiffly. I was trying to hide my distrust of this character. Something seemed amiss about him. I couldn't explain it.

"That is perfectly understandable." He replied with a brief nod.

"How is Sesshoumaru?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. I pointlessly worry over things. Such a stupid habit of mine.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is doing well…actually he's speaking with Inuyasha at the moment. I think it would be wise to let them discuss, and get some rest for yourself. You've had a trifling experience, and it's best if you tried to avoid wandering the halls in the darkness. You may have protection against being harmed, because of Sesshoumaru's presence, but there are some demons here that wouldn't care to heed warnings."

"O-okay…" I stuttered, imagining being attacked by a crazed demon, who didn't think I was worthy of living in their master's presence. "Thank you for letting me know Sesshoumaru was all right. That's why I wandered out. Can you tell Inuyasha to keep me posted?"

"I will do that, certainly." He nodded, directing be back to the room I was sharing with Rin. I wanted to know more about what was going on. But since he told me Sesshoumaru wasn't unconscious again, there was really nothing left to question. Though, I would definitely speak with Inuyasha in the morning, or when ever he came to me.

I stepped into the room and he slid the door shut. I slumped my shoulders and knelt on the hard floor, facing the open door to the outside. The moon wasn't visible that night…but the stars sparkled brightly. I missed my home at that moment. Don't get me wrong, I loved feudal Japan. No cars, no pollution, and no school…but sometimes I missed the luxury of home.

Home…

I thought about it for a moment and then I stood up quickly. It was a reaction rather than a necessary movement. It was rather dumb of me, but the idea hit me so quickly! It was a sudden, duh! moment. If we could manage to beat Naraku back to the well…we could cross over into my world! Inuyasha could come over into my world by himself, maybe Sesshoumaru could if he were with me. It would at least give us time against Naraku. I wavered on whether or not I wanted to go find them and hare my idea with them…but in the end, I chose to wait…

I sat back down. It would be stupid to charge out there knowing there are watchful demons on the prowl. Not that I could hurt anyone. I had no weapon and I was tired!

"Lady Kagome…" I heard a little voice beside me and I turned to look at the little girl who was watching me in the darkness.

"Something wrong Rin?"

"Rin is scared for Lord Sesshoumaru." He said softly and I wanted to scoop her into my arms and hug her to death.

"Rin…I promise you. I won't let anything happen to Sesshoumaru!" I know I had no power to really do anything to stop most of what Naraku could dish out, but I know it would be easier for her to hear that she had nothing to worry about. Inuyasha and I were part of this now, and if I knew Inuyasha, he wouldn't let Naraku have his way without a fight.

"Thank you Lady Kagome." She smiled and closed her eyes again. She had actually grown a bit since I first saw her. Her hair was a little longer and it looked like she needed a new kimono. I made a mental note to tell Sesshoumaru that.

I couldn't get back to sleep after that and while I should have been sleeping, I sat and watched the stars twinkle. Thanks to the 21st Century I knew that the ones that twinkled were stars and the one's that didn't were sparkle but merely shone, were planets. It was really something to look at when I thought about the people in the feudal era that would think that was crazy.

"This is too surreal" I muttered to myself. Feudal Japan! "I must be a crazy person!" I chuckled. I had to be in an asylum somewhere…had to be…

"Yeah…you're crazy alright. Since you're out here talking to yourself!"

I squeaked with a sudden jolt and jumped back from the open door to the outside. I looked up an only needed to see the glowing red clothing to know who the person was. "Inuyasha, you about sent me into cardiac arrest!"

"Oh yeah, because I totally know what 'Cardiac Arrest' is."

"A heart attack!" I huffed.

He blinked at me.

"Oh never mind!" I did the only smart thing and gave up. I recomposed myself and looked at him squarely. "I thought you were talking with Sesshoumaru…"

Inuyasha sat next to me and plastered a bored look all over his face. "I was, but he had something he needed to do."

"You're not gonna watch him?!"

"I'm not Sesshoumaru's Keeper, Kagome! Besides, why are you getting so worked up? He's not as vulnerable as that."

"But!...But…I'm worried that someone around here isn't who they say they are." I whispered quietly to him.

He looked at me as if trying to decipher the meaning and in a sudden shift of expression it seemed to click with him as well. "You mean Koumaijii."

"Yeah. I mean, I can't explain it, but I think there's something very foul there."

"Well if there is something to be worried about, it's not happened yet. Because he told me some things about my brother that Naraku couldn't have known. And I can't imagine Naraku being clever enough to make up some of the stuff Koumaijii told me."

"Oh? Say, what did you and your brother talk about?" I asked toying with the hem of the kimono. I traced a finger delicately over the intricately sewn fabric. I silently wondered if Sesshoumaru was going to let me keep it. That would have been cool of him…

"Actually he didn't remember the fight between him and I. I had to…recall that to him. He also told me something a little disturbing. Apparently Naraku tried to bargain with Sesshoumaru by threatening to bring our father up from the dead."

I was silent for a long moment… "Say what!?"

"Yeah, Sesshoumaru said that Naraku needed Sesshoumaru for something and if he didn't comply then he was going to pull a Kikyo on our father. I for one can't imagine that would work, but now that Naraku has almost the entire jewel…It's hard to say. Even still, Sesshoumaru said he refuses. Which is a good damn thing. Because fighting our father would be more difficult than anything Naraku could do with Sesshoumaru."

"Wait…then what's stopping Naraku from bring back your father as it stands? I mean, if it were that easy, wouldn't he have bypassed Sesshoumaru and just gone straight after your father? I mean, your father is mega powerful right?"

"He wouldn't be as powerful in death, obviously…" Inuyasha thought. His nose crinkled and his eyes narrowed before he turned to me almost animatedly. "Holy shit, Kagome! He's after Sesshoumaru because of the poison in Sesshoumaru's body! That has to be it!"

"Poison?"

"It was something Koumaijii told me. Something about the poison in my brother's body was so strong that it almost killed him as a child. If something that potent were to be manipulated by Naraku…"

"It would be impossible to counteract!" I gasped.

"Sesshoumaru would just be an added bonus as his puppet. Though I think Naraku wanted him to comply." Inuyasha frowned and reclined back on the wooden floor. "What do we do about it then? I mean…that's not to say that's what he's after…Maybe he's just got some freakish obsession with Sesshoumaru."

I pondered the statement for a moment. I actually couldn't think of why Naraku would need to bring Sesshoumaru down, unless he thought that the demon was a legitimate threat. Sesshoumaru was definitely powerful, but he'd never actually beaten Inuyasha…let alone Naraku unless he was seriously hiding something. On top of that, He was missing an arm, which would make him even less of a threat. So….what could Naraku really be wanting?

"Something just doesn't feel right, Inuyasha, I can't believe that Naraku would want something from Sesshoumaru when he has everything he needs to do whatever he wants!" I said after a moment.

"Well, we're further than we were, at least we have an idea on what some of the possibilities are."

"Maybe we should talk to Sesshoumaru."

"Talk to me about what?"

I turned and saw a figure standing just behind me. I screeched, clamping my hands over my mouth as I jumped back and fell over in the middle of the floor. I rolled over and breathed. "Sesshoumaru! You almost scared me to death!" I squeaked. It felt like these guys were just all planning to make my heart explode!

"If only I could say it was intentional." He said monotonously, but if you were listening carefully enough you could actually detect a sense of humor. Barely. I mean very barely.

"Sesshoumaru, I thought you said-" Inuyasha started but stopped mid sentence.

"Not now. We have to leave."

Inuyasha's ears perked and he moved closer to me. I shrunk back closer to Rin. Something seemed wrong about Sesshoumaru's behavior and the way he was talking. "What's wrong?"

"Naraku's in my fortress….some where, he's already infiltrated it. I can smell something out of place. Inuyasha wouldn't have sensed it because he isn't here enough."

"Well where the hell else can we go! This is pretty much the last 'safe' place we have!" Inuyasha growled.

I held up my hand slowly, "That's not entirely true. If you can travel the Well, I don't see why Sesshoumaru can't if he goes with us through the Well. My mom would be willing to watch Rin, I'm sure…So we wouldn't have to worry about her while we try to figure out what's going on. Not to mention we really need to let Sango and the others know that we're not dead somewhere…"

"What Well?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Long story. It's my connection to the future. We can tell you later." I added. I didn't want to make him mad, but I was certain that he understood that time was of the essence.

I petted Rin's hair and tried to gently wake the sleeping girl. She had been drifting in and out of sleep and since we were moving out, apparently, I thought it would be best to keep her alert. Inuyasha turned to his brother, "Well, Sesshoumaru?"

"…I do no enjoy this at all; however, we're in this together. Do not hesitate when you have an idea." He looked at me. His cold golden eyes made me shiver and I always had to wonder if he had been like this since childhood. Inuyasha was certainly not pleasant, but he wasn't as void as Sesshoumaru.

I nodded but didn't say anything. He curtly pointed to Rin then to me. He was making me Rin's guardian! I felt a little intimidated. If I messed up I answered to him.

"I will worry about you, you worry about her." he said, before he turned to Inuyasha and pulled the collar on his kimono, walking the half demon out the room.

"Hey, damn it. I can walk on my own! You don't need to push me around!" I heard him yell at Sesshoumaru before the thin door slid shut. I could still see their silhouettes, because of the light that had been put just outside my door. It glowed brighter than the other lights that lined the way, which I took to mean 'don't go there', to most of the demons. They were talking quietly. I was a little peeved that they had to be hush hush around me. I mean, I was part of it too! I wanted to know what they were planning, but I had to trust both of them. They knew more about the demon stuff than I did.

I sighed and looked sweetly at Rin. "You're awake." I said with a grin. "We're getting ready to leave Rin. I wanted you to be awake."

"Where are we going Lady Kagome?"

"I can't say yet." I put my finger to my lips. "That would ruin the surprise."

"Is Lord Sesshoumaru going?"

"You bet he is! He's trying to keep it quiet from everyone. So don't say anything okay?" I asked softly, rubbing her cheek with my thumb.

"Rin won't say a word!" She giggled a toothy grin. I wrapped my arms around her. She was so cute and small. She was my responsibility from that point. A guy who cared a lot about her made certain that someone was able to protect her. I may have not been a powerful demon, but I was a priestess and I was certainly not helpless. Though, the way Sesshoumaru had laid down the hierarchy made me feel a little flushed. I was Rin's protector, and that mean he, as well as Inuyasha obviously, were going to watch over me.

The door slid open again and Inuyasha reappeared, but Sesshoumaru walked on like he had something very important to do first. "Inuyasha?"

"Sesshoumaru is going to get Jaken and Kohaku and then we're leaving. He doesn't want to leave them behind because they're at risk of being captured by Naraku. So come on. We're going to meet him on the east side. He says that's the best place to open up the portal to my father's grave." Inuyasha held his hand out to me and I took it, letting up pull me and Rin up effortlessly.

"We're going through the portal again?"

"It's the quickest way to travel that far and stay out of Naraku's sight. Though we can't do it much more, or he'll follow us…wait…do you think he'll be able to travel the well?"

I shook my head, "He shouldn't be able to because he's not pure. You can go through because of me. Sesshoumaru and Rin will be able to if they go with me. Naraku can't even if he has most of the jewel."

"That'll buy us some time…well, let's get going now while we're still undetected." He said, taking my hand to lead me through the dim halls. I could see, but I did feel safer with him leading me. I held Rin's small hand in she walked in front of me. I was responsible for her. Sesshoumaru trusted me with his princess, and I knew that Rin was nothing if not his princess.

The halls were getting darker and darker the further to the east we went. I knew that it was dark outside, and that was a little scary in a demon infested place like that, but I needed to be strong and I had seen some scary stuff that could have made a dark hall look pretty inviting. We were almost to the open air, at the end of the hall where a door was already slid open letting in a soft breeze.

"Going somewhere?" A tender voice spoke on the wind. The voice belonged to Koumaijii, but it didn't sound pleasant anymore.

"Koumaijii, we were just gonna get some fresh air." Inuyasha said in his usual cocky tone.

"I certainly don't advise that."

I moved closer to Inuyasha and Rin hugged me tighter. Koumaijii was Naraku's means of infiltrating Sesshoumaru's castle. He looked directly at me and I saw a very brief falter in his expression. A little bit of distress had slipped through and I moved a little to the side to get a better look at him. I tried to tap into enough of my priestess power to see what was being masked. A thin silvery thread shone against the backdrop of the moonless sky. Only I could see it. "Inuyasha…there's a thread attached to Koumaijii…" I whispered.

"I see…" The half demon frowned, "Koumaijii is Naraku's puppet now…"

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

_Leo: I apologize for the long hiatus, but I've been overwhelmed by school, art and a variety of other things that tend to remove time from writing. I missed this story because it is one of my few that has a real plot. I will keep writing for it and I will try to get the best chapters out of it as I can. I've kinda hinted at a trust relationship developing between Human and Demon here in this chapter, but it'll get stronger soon. I just don't like pressing relationships too early in the story. Let me know what you thought of this chapter! And thank you everyone for reading thus far! I hope my chapters are worth the wait. _


	10. The Becoming

_Leo: I know…a new chapter, within this year?! Holy crap. So yeah… Sorry about the typos ahead of time…and for the last chapter. I was in a hurry. YAY fight scenes…God I fail at these so bad. _

**The Fragile**

_Chapter 10 – The Becoming _

Kagome cowered back behind Inuyasha as best she could while still keeping Koumaijii in her site. She hadn't detected any sort of puppetry on the demon before he stepped up to bat with Inuyasha. Her guess was that Naraku hadn't actually taken control of him until he deemed it necessary. "Inuyasha, you can't kill him…He was trying to tell you something because he knew he was under Naraku's control." She whispered. Inuyasha had said that Koumaijii had told him things about his brother; things that were very important.

"Something about the story he told me must be a hint to Naraku's intentions then," Inuyasha whispered back lowly. Even in enemy control Koumaijii was looking out for Sesshoumaru, and the strange feeling Kagome felt from him all along made sense. "Direct me Kagome, if I can cut the thread, maybe I can free him."

"Don't bother." A soulless, cruel voice came from the victim of Naraku's puppetry. "This demon's body belongs to me now. I must compliment how long it took me to gain full control of him. You damnable demon mutts are so very stubborn."

"Ah shut the hell up Naraku. You think this is going to be easy?!" Inuyasha growled, pushing Rin and Kagome backward in the hall while he unleashed Tetsusaiga. The blade shone bright against the torch lights just beyond the exit.

Koumaijii's face displayed an expression of Naraku's grinning malice, "What can you do now? All I have come for is Sesshoumaru. Relinquish him and you won't have to worry about what I do."

"Yeah, like we believe that Naraku." Kagome shouted from the back.

"She's right, I'll be damned straight to hell if I hand over my brother to a bastard like you!" Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga and brought it back down with a tremendous effort that sent a wave of raw air at Koumaijii. The silver haired underling to Sesshoumaru jumped back and out into the open air. Nothing was behind him but open air and a vast field.

"And here I was to assume you didn't care what happened to your dear brother." Naraku taunted the half demon. Koumaijii's body was lithe and quick, and the puppet master had no issue keeping him out of Inuyasha's range, but this also provided less chance to attack. So with an evil grin that seemed alien on the face of Sesshoumaru's trusted adviser, Naraku stepped the demon forward.

The master himself watched from a distance, his fingers deftly pulling and manipulating the strings of control over his best chance to separate the little union that had formed and managed to escape him several times. He had been greatly disappointed that Sesshoumaru had even fled to the half demon and his human wench. Though the dog demon would never outright say it, he had gone straight to his little half brother because he knew there was no better companion than Tetsusaiga to his Tenseiga and that meant he needed the one that Tetsusaiga accepted as its master.

Well, that was a simple fix. All he had to do was wipe Inuyasha out long enough to get to Sesshoumaru. He didn't even need to worry about the half breed getting in his way once he managed to circle and close in on the elder brother. Then it would just be a game of hide and go kill. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to fight off Sesshoumaru with the power that Naraku would gain by using him. That and the ice prince's blood held a fantastic property that would undoubtedly help him accomplish one of his more prominent desires.

"This will be much easier than you think Inuyasha." He grinned, his eyes scanning the dismal expression on the dog eared man's face.

"He stopped moving, Inuyasha." Kagome gasped beside her red clad friend. "I don't like that feeling I'm getting. There's not shard or anything connected to him…Naraku's control shouldn't be that strong!"

"Naraku can do whatever he wants these days." Inuyasha growled in irritation. He didn't actually know where Sesshoumaru was, except that he was on his way in their direction… He tried to erase the possible idea that Sesshoumaru might be undertaken by another Naraku puppet. It wasn't unbelievable to think that Naraku would have more than one.

"Enough games." Koumaijii's voice crackled like it was breaking into a growl. Inuyasha realized in horror that he was changing forms.

"Shit, Kagome, run!"

"Inuyasha, I can't go far from you!"

Inuyasha looked at her and then the surroundings. With a determined shove he forced her into an empty room. The thin door slid open with ease and he closed it just as easily. "Find an exit and go around. You'll get hurt from this side!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, but he had his hand holding the door shut. She breathed and looked around the room for something. "Come on Rin." She whispered and the young girl followed her to the sliding door that led to the opening that faced the south. They would be able to go around the corner of the building then. All she knew was that they were not safe anywhere when a dog demon changed shapes.

She stopped just short of large chest. She opened it with a little help from her younger companion. She almost cheered, opening it to find a small collections of swords and among the pile a short bow and quiver of arrows. She pulled them out and collected the arrows from the bottom of the chest. She didn't have a use for the swords, but the arrows were her best protection, though she ad to be very careful with Rin under her protection. Her brown eyes looked back to Rin and she realized that Rin no longer had Tenseiga. "Oh no….Rin, where's Tenseiga?!"

"Rin left it in the room!" She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She scrambled closer to Kagome when a loud growling roar shook the foundation of the castle.

"Come on Rin, we're not safe in this building!" Kagome hopped from the ledge of the side exit that led to the open fields. She held her arms out for Rin to come down. The two of them fearfully left the south side of the building and peeked around the corner to the east facing wall.

Koumaijii, in his full dog demon form stood huge on four legs. His demon form reminded her of a muscular Great Dane. He was easily an agile beast even in such a bulky form. The snout of the dog form had red horizontal slashes that trailed back, curved, and continued all the way down the side of his furry body. A black spider, Naraku's signature, took the place of the original symbol that would have been on the demon's forehead.

The demon snarled and swiped at the building, ripping apart the upper portion, as he tried to harm Inuyasha. "Sesshoumaru with three fucking legs is tougher than this Naraku!" Inuyasha called, passing the huge dog demon on the ground and trying to lure it away from the castle. He lifted Tetsusaiga as he ran and dropped the heavy blade in a quick slash, hoping to get the giant dog from behind. His plan of attack backfired, however and Koumaijii's large claws landed a heavy swipe against Inuyasha's smaller body.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, forgetting that she was technically supposed to be staying out of the demon's path.

"Kagome, you idiot!" Inuyasha grunted, standing up and parrying another heavy paw.

The dog turned its attention to Kagome and Rin and they both shrieked when they realized it was coming at them. Kagome pushed Rin back closer to the building while she stepped a little further out into the open. She pulled an arrow from the quiver she had adjusted to her back and she set up the bow to fire. She didn't want to hurt Koumaijii…He was loyal to Sesshoumaru. Her aim wavered and she fought with her self to release the arrow even as the possessed demon closed the space between them.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha's voice erupted much closer to her than she had remembered him being. She blinked and it hit her that Inuyasha had jumped in to stop the demon, because she couldn't fire her arrow. Firing at Koumaijii would have made her feel like she was firing at Rin… It was someone important to Sesshoumaru. But now, Inuyasha was in danger.

Tetsusaiga fought the strength of the beast's jaws and Kagome tried to focus on the source of Naraku's control. That tiny little thread was all that he had connected with Koumaijii. 'I can't hit that…it's too thin.' She grimaced.

Inuyasha's voice grated against his valiant, but failing effort, "Kagome, get back!" He grunted painfully when Koumaijii flitted to the side and threw him forward. Koumaijii's giant jaws closed around Inuyasha's solid body and he lifted him in the air.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome shrieked as she watched Inuyasha struggle and lose his grip on Tetsusaiga. The sword took a long fall and plunged point down into the earth. Inuyasha was helpless.

'I told you this was going to be easy, Inuyasha' Naraku's words echoed in the telepathic way that Sesshoumaru's dog demon form had shown it could do. 'And I didn't even have to personally get my hands dirty.' He laughed. The dog's jaws tightened against Inuyasha's body and the half demon cursed loudly.

'No one kills that but me.' Another voice echoed soundlessly amongst the group. Without warning Inuyasha found him self very close to a second set of huge demon dog jaws. The second demon's teeth took a direct bite into the other's snout and with the pressure of the bite, Inuyasha slid free of the attacker's teeth.

He landed on his feet and looked up at the dog fight taking place. Koumaijii's face was covered in blood and he was backing away as much as he could, being so closed in by the second, three legged dog.

"Sesshoumaru…" Inuyasha stared, amazed.

'Cut the thread. I can hold him back.' Sesshoumaru instructed as he advanced on his possessed companion, balancing remarkably well on only three legs. However, Koumaijii was not going down without a fight.

'Ah, Sesshoumaru…Just the one I wanted to see. Made up your mind yet?' Naraku taunted Sesshoumaru even as Koumaijii's form was being pushed back.

'I told you no.' Sesshoumaru's soundless words echoed over his verbal snarl and he pounced forward to sink his jaws back into Koumaijii's face just enough to wrestle the skinnier dog to the ground with a heavy and echoing thud.

Koumaijii bit back with a sudden surge of force throwing off his lord, but the teeth missed Sesshoumaru. Instead, the puppet shook off the waves of pain and his eyes narrowed on Kagome and more specifically Rin. He advanced toward them and Kagome ran back to Rin, grabbing her in her arms and trying to run as fast as she could away from the demon, but her kimono was making it so much harder. "Run Rin! Run as fast as you can!" She cried, pushing the girl along while they could feel the thumping of the dog's stride as if closed in on them.

Kagome cried when her foot hit a soft patch of earth and her kimono tripped her up. She screamed at Rin to keep running and she did. She could see another form advancing from the other direction and praised someone that it was Kohaku and Jaken riding on Sesshoumaru's demon pet. Rin would be safe. But she...

She rolled to face upward and wished she had a place to hide from the giant creature of death that was preparing to eat her faster than Inuyasha could jump in to save her. 'I don't want to die like this.' She cried in her head and clenched her eyes shut when she saw the jaws of death come down.

A loud reverberating howl shook her against the soft ground and she opened her eyes to find her self staring directly at the largest nose she'd ever seen. Sesshoumaru was in between her and the enemy. She trembled seeing the teeth that had sunk deep into his good shoulder. The demon lord was struggling to keep upright with the weight against his only upper extremity.

Koumaijii yowled and pulled back and away from Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha had used that opportunity to sneak up and get as close to the source of Naraku's control. The tiny thread connecting him like a string puppet. Inuyasha held Tetsusaiga's large form and with a visible effort he slashed the open air, hoping that he was able to get the thread that he couldn't even see.

Seeing Inuyasha's action, Sesshoumaru stepped back with a limp, but didn't progress any further. A bright light shrunk his bulky form like a billowing blaze into a subtle flame and he collapsed just feet from Kagome, battered and bloodied. With effort, Kagome lifted herself and crawled close to him. It had been her fault he was injured. She looked up to Inuyasha who was dropping down from above. Koumaijii's form reversed as Inuyasha made his descent.

Inuyasha darted to Kagome and Sesshoumaru the moment his feet touched land. "He's still breathing right?" He blurted, looking down to Sesshoumaru.

"Yeah…we need to get out of here, Inuyasha. Naraku's not far…Koumaijii is only a temporary distraction…" Kagome said, her voice fluttering like she was going to start crying.

"Well…We can't leave Koumaijii like that…"

"Then let's bring him with us! We need to leave now! Naraku's toying with us Inuyasha. We can't take another round like this!" Kagome's eyes watered up and Inuyasha stepped back. He was actually more frightened by Kagome's tears than anything Naraku could throw at them.

Jaken, Kohaku and Rin approached the scene in a rush of concern. Rin started crying when she saw the blood pooling by Sesshoumaru's right shoulder. She stopped just next to him and began to tremble. "Lord Sesshoumaru." She whispered leaning close to his face.

Sesshoumaru's eyes fluttered open and he stared at her. "You're wasting your tears, Rin. I am fine."

Inuyasha snorted, while he dragged Koumaijii up next to Sesshoumaru. Koumaijii was unconscious, but definitely still alive. His face was covered in blood, but he was otherwise uninjured. Sesshoumaru lifted his good arm, despite the pain that erupted into his shoulder from the action. With great effort and use of his sharp teeth, he pulled off the first four or so inches of material from his sleeve. He took the unbroken circle of fabric and tore it in the middle, creating a long make shift bandage piece. "Wrap this around his face." He held it out to Inuyasha who looked at him strangely. He turned his face away but added a much quieter, "please."

With a little hesitance, Inuyasha took the material and moved closer to Koumaijii's face. He figured Kagome was worrying Sesshoumaru's injury already. He carefully wiped the majority of the blood off his face with his own sleeve before he gently slid the strip around his head and over his eyes and bridge of the nose, where the damage was the worst. "He'll recover from this in no time, I'm sure." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Hn, I owe you for not killing him." Sesshoumaru said quietly. Inuyasha almost didn't hear it, but the initial shock of the words proved even to himself that he had heard correctly.

"Sesshoumaru, he's someone that you trust." Kagome started, pressing her hand against the wound, using the sash that Rin had given her when she had changed into the kimono. "I know you're not used to the concept, but we humans are very dedicated to the people that are important to us and we generally don't like to see people lose important people either."

"Humans talk too much, as well, I gather." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes.

"I haven't seen you try to gut me like a fish yet." Kagome retorted. She coughed. She was trying to show a strong face, but that last attack had scared her. When she saw Sesshoumaru take that hit she had instantly seen the possibility of threads of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's relationship splinter. If Sesshoumaru died…then so did Inuyasha's last family connection. Not that there was a strong relationship, but she hoped that one day there might be…that they could actually come together as brothers and not as rivals or enemies. She wanted what she was sure their father wanted.

He opened his eyes, slightly amused. He arched a thin eyebrow at Kagome, "Oh? Do you want me to?"

"What? Gut me like a fish? No, that's okay. I'm fine." She frowned and moved over so Rin could sit beside her. She watched Sesshoumaru struggle to sit up and she moved forward quickly, placing her hands against his shoulders, being careful to avoid the injury. "Easy, Sesshoumaru, even you can get seriously hurt, you know."

"Nonsense." He stated simply, but did not reject her in helping him into a sitting position. She remained next to him, helping him stay upright. "Inuyasha," He pointed and made a motion with his index finger that beckoned his younger brother, who naively moved within range of his previously murderous older sibling.

Without warning a swift fist came out of nowhere and belted Inuyasha squarely in the face. The dog eared half demon stumbled back and landed on his backside. He blinked. He was stunned and it took him a moment to collect together what had just taken place. When he finally registered the fact that Sesshoumaru had just decked him in the face, he jumped forward and growled at him. "What the fuck was that?!"

"That is for taking your sweet time cutting the puppet string. You're so slow it's maddening, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha seethed and clenched his fist, "That's it, I've had it! I'll save Naraku the trouble and just kick your ass myself!" He wanted to pounce on the demon and tear off the rest of his limbs, but he refrained when he saw the look Kagome was giving him. "Oh don't even defend him, Kagome! He started it!"

"Yes, maybe so, but he's kinda right…" She said softly. She perked up instantly to avoid a response from the irate half-breed, "We need to focus on getting to the well now!"

Sesshoumaru was silent, but in agreement with the human priestess. "Inuyasha, come here."

"Hell no!" Inuyasha vehemently refused to go close to Sesshoumaru again.

"I won't hit you."

"Yeah right."

"Look puppy, my mood is quickly progressing from irritable to irate. I said come here,** now**."

Inuyasha found himself instantly moving closer. He had no real fear of Sesshoumaru any more, but he also didn't want to be the cause of Sesshoumaru flying off the handle, especially with Kagome so close to him. "You better not hit me Sesshoumaru."

"I said I will not hit you…but you will not appreciate this any more than that I am almost certain." Sesshoumaru said and his left hand shot toward Inuyasha's face and, as was almost expected from the way he moved so precisely, his claws plunged into Inuyasha's eye just enough to retrieve the black pearl. Kagome turned her head, Rin shrieked and Inuyasha swore loudly, holding his eye.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha bellowed through gritted teeth. "Damn it Sesshoumaru, there has got to be a better way to get that damn thing than that."

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru barked to his servant toad. The little imp demon knew that Sesshoumaru wanted the staff, the only way to open the portal and move through the world of their father's tomb. Sesshoumaru was not willing to wait for Inuyasha to figure it out on his own. He was very impatient and they didn't have enough time. They stalled and bickered long enough for him to be able to sit up and move enough to make the move.

The small impish creature took the liberty of touching the foot of the staff once again to the black pearl, when Sesshoumaru dropped it to the ground. The black swirling gateway opened and Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru, despite one temporarily blind eye. "You better be thankful that this is a damn good reason. Otherwise I'd say fuck it and let you rot here by yourself."

"Jaken, lead them through." Sesshoumaru addressed Jaken to take the children and creature through the portal. "Carry Koumaijii along with you." He instructed before turning to Inuyasha. "Are you done running your mouth?" He raised a brow at Inuyasha and the half demon's expression faltered. Sesshoumaru was smart enough to know what to do to get the desire reaction out of his simpleton brother.

"Yeah yeah. Kagome, go through." He pointed to the portal and halted her obvious objection. "I got this bastard, hurry up before Naraku decides to step in on our festival here." He nodded and she stood, carefully. He could see she was worried about him being able to hold himself up, but Inuyasha had the feeling that Sesshoumaru wasn't a total incapable wreck. He watched Kagome disappear into the black vortex. Once she was gone he waltzed over to Sesshoumaru and without a word, moved forward fast enough to prevent a response. He lifted Sesshoumaru over his shoulder and grinned stupidly when he heard the angered grunt follow.

"**Inuyasha**. Put me down this instant!"

Inuyasha ignored him and walked toward the portal. "And what are you going to do if I don't? Your only arm is pinned down. So shut up and enjoy the ride." He chuckled cruelly, jumping into the black portal. The sudden change in direction and lighting almost made his stomach flip, but he adjusted to it quickly. The freefall was much more pleasant than last time because he was expecting it.

"I will kill you for this when this is over, I promise." Sesshoumaru said. His voice trailed off as the wind carried it. He was tense and edgy, and Inuyasha could feel it in the adamant way he held his form rigid in Inuyasha's hold. Then again, this was as close to a bear hug these two would probably ever experience.

"Oh shut up Sesshoumaru. By the end of this you probably won't even give a shit." Inuyasha snorted.

"No. I'll most likely be dead."

Inuyasha looked back at Sesshoumaru instantly, as they touched the bone covered floor of the grave of their large father. He moved away from his older sibling as soon as he was sure that the guy could stand on his own. "What the hell does that mean, Sesshoumaru?!"

"What, you don't understand language now?" The elder barked back.

The younger one seethed and resisted the urge to deck Sesshoumaru in the face. He ignored the others as they touched down on the ground around him. They had gotten this far and he would be damned if all their struggling fell into waste because of a slip of attitude. "In the last damn day Sesshoumaru we've been through more shit than we've been through in a fucking long time! We've gotten our asses handed to us many times, slipped out by pure luck, you're nearly dead as it is, and we're still running away constantly. One of your people is hurt and many others are at risk, but damn it, we haven't succumbed to that fucker yet! With an attitude like that, then you may as well just lie down and die! You came to us and we're not the type to let you just hang yourself, especially knowing that you could end up being our enemy."

"Don't act like you know me personally, Inuyasha. I came to you for Rin. I had every intention of leaving her behind. I did not mean to involve you in **my** matters." Sesshoumaru didn't even bat an eyelash at Inuyasha's anger.

Inuyasha backed down and cast his eyes aside, "You know, you're pretty damn impressive sometimes. I mean, I've never met some one as damned stubborn as you. It's admirable." His eyes flickered back up. "You even think of lying down and dying, and I swear on our father's grave here, that I will do worse to you than Naraku ever could."

"As I said before: if you aren't willing to kill me when it comes down to it, then you need to cut our ties right here and now. Naraku will not stop. I know what he wants. If you don't think you can put that blade through me Inuyasha, then you're not only a fool, but you're overestimating our collective skills. So what will it be _little brother_, you can attempt this game, but know that you may have to put an end to me, or you can leave me where we left from and I can face Naraku alone."

Golden eyes stared intensely at the being setting the options on the table. Inuyasha didn't like the way his brother was acting. He actually missed the selfish, hateful, cruel, bastard that he had gotten used to popping in every now and then to create some chaos. In a sense it was part of his charm, so to speak. He was undoubtedly a pain in the ass when they were in the middle of a battle and in popped Sesshoumaru. But he had Sesshoumaru to thank for a lot of his skill.

"You want to know what my answer is?" Inuyasha spoke determinedly, after a moment of contemplation. "Well I'll tell you."

_To be Continued…._

_Leo: Chapter is also a little longer. Because I love whoever reads this shit bucket xD Man I have so many typos. I'm going to be editing them soon. By the time you've finished reading this I will be finishing the next chapter and starting on the one after it. It won't be long between updates. _


	11. The Great Below

_Leo: For those of you who love this story, you're in super luck. I have the next two chapters after this completed. And I will try to start a posting rotation every Tuesday._

**The Fragile**

_Chapter 11 – The Great Below_

We touched down on the familiar bone covered ground with a crunch. I had dropped down and caught up to Rin, Jaken and Kohaku and we all descended on the creature that Sesshoumaru always had with him. I was relieved to be in the light, even if it was in the creepiest place imaginable. There was nothing worse than fighting a demon-anything in the night. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru descended just after us, but immediately, Inuyasha jumped back from Sesshoumaru and the two broke off into a heated argument that sounded way too strange for both of them.

"You want to know what my answer is Sesshoumaru? I'll tell you." Inuyasha sounded so unusually mature the way he approached his brother. The rest of us merely stood watching. No one wanted to intervene. "I refuse to let you die by Naraku. You may hate me to the very core for what I am or whatever I've done to you and I may hate you just as a response, but that doesn't mean I would wish that on you. If I can help it, I'm keeping Naraku's filthy hands as far from you as I can, but I won't kill you if it happens."

"Then I wish to return to my lands." Sesshoumaru's eyes were cold and unloving, but I knew that had to be a force of habit. Sesshoumaru had shown he was capable of at least acknowledging people's feelings and he definitely understood the importance of life, since he was able to use Tenseiga so easily.

"**No**." Even I was taken back by how forceful Inuyasha sounded. "You may not have intended to; but we're in on this now and I have no intention of killing you unless it's a fair fight, just you and me. If you wanna fight this out, then come on. We'll see who lasts longer this time. Naraku's ruined enough people and killed enough. Don't be just another number. You coward. I know you're more of a demon lord than that. Or is it you who's just the puppy?"

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, his face held an unusually angry expression…well, angry for what Sesshoumaru can show on his usually emotionless face. "How dare you of all people accuse me of cowardice?! I took a bite out of my favored adviser for you, and took injury for your priestess. I am not your friend, Inuyasha. I barely want to be your brother." My eye widened when I heard him say this. _Barely…Does that mean there's a part of him that does, or at least once did?_

"Yeah, well that's too fucking bad. You're stuck with me now. If you want someone to blame, then blame our father."

"Oh, trust me, half-breed, I blame him for a lot more than just giving me a miserable excuse for a younger sibling. I didn't want your help. You never helped me when I needed you before, why would I think to start asking now?"

Inuyasha stopped his response, his face fell from angry to stunned. I could feel the turmoil boiling within him from his brother's last words. "What the hell do you mean!? You never asked me for help!"

"No. Of course I didn't." Sesshoumaru sneered in a fashion very unlike him. He looked like he was at the tip of his patience cap and about to snap. I supposed even someone as calm and collected like Sesshoumaru had his personal issues that were always suppressed until they built up and the stress tacked on. "You were too busy being sealed to a tree by that miserable Kikyo **bitch**."

Inuyasha growled and I looked down and away from him. He always got defensive of her and it hurt a little. "How very **uncouth** of you Sesshoumaru. I didn't think you were into throwing around insults about lowly humans. What about you, you damn hypocrite!? What's this brat mean to you? Huh, just holding on to her until you need a snack or something."

I watched in amazement that the injured Sesshoumaru darted toward Inuyasha fast enough to put his fist into Inuyasha's face with a loud resounding smack. This went from passive to very aggressive fast. I moved to step in but found myself unable to move my foot. I looked down to see Koumaijii's hand holding my ankle from where he lay on a large canvas type of cloth, I assumed Jaken was responsible for moving him for a short time. "…Why are you…" I whispered.

"Let them…This is important…" Koumaijii mouthed. I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew there would have been a look of relevance in them. This was something the two of them needed to fight out. Naraku only influenced Sesshoumaru to start it before, but here they were both their own, and under no one else's control. They were baring themselves out to each other. Their father had to know there would be a riff…he practically set it up from what I saw.

"My father once asked me something that I ignored, he asked me if I have something to protect. Tell me, Inuyasha, if you knew I was he one person on the planet who could have saved your damned Kikyo, would you send her to me, even if I am your enemy?!"

Inuyasha paused. He didn't even look at me but I already knew the answer. "…Yeah."

"Well then you might understand even a little that I have something to protect now. I do not love humans. I can barely stand the sight or stench of them, but species is not what makes someone worth protecting. Rin tried to help me when I was injured. I snarled at her. I pushed her away. I told her to leave and I ignored her. But she followed me because she has the ability to see what I do not. Kohaku followed me of the same volition. Jaken is loyal as well as are my other subjects, but of all my subjects none of them understand me like Rin and Kohaku do."

I listened to him talk and almost fell into a trance. His words were like poetry in motion and he had a content aura about him when he talked about them. We had known he was deeply attached to Rin when he went to rescue her the several times that she had been abducted from him. We had talked about it as a group and no one could understand why he would break his own personal laws and let a human girl follow him.

"You used Tenseiga on Rin…" Inuyasha added softly, so as not to evoke anger in Sesshoumaru, but surprisingly enough there was no anger. The demon's face returned to its complacent indifferent expression.

"I did. And when she followed me…when Kohaku followed me, I did not push them away. They understood their place. I am not like you. I don't fawn and squall over my companions like you do, but I would go to the depths of hell for Rin and I will not let her die by someone as trifling as Naraku, when I know that you or at least your prieste….Kagome, is capable of protecting her. I do not need you helping **me**."

"Well you're too late, Sesshoumaru. You were trying to save Rin, but you ended up getting more than you asked for. You should know better. But I don't understand why you hate me, if you don't hate Rin."

Sesshoumaru actually visibly exhaled, and I was a little surprised to see him doing something as normal as an audible sigh. "I remember what makes me hate you now. You don't know when to shut up."

"What!?" Inuyasha barked.

"You're trying to start a fight now Inuyasha. I don't wish to spend my few moments of healing time arguing with the likes of you. Especially when you have nothing to say to me. You're always complaining about how I treat you and how you cannot help what you are, but truth is, you should be thankful you are not in my position."

I carefully watched Inuyasha for his response. He looked a mix between angry and hurt. I'd never seen this look from him while talking to Sesshoumaru before. It seemed like someone had struck a nerve. "Care to explain?" He said rather calmly for how his body language was.

"You were the one who made my father happy. I was not. First born, but second best."

No one made a sound when Sesshoumaru said the words and turned his gaze away and out into the large vast nothingness of their father's grave. Inuyasha's expression became a kaleidoscope of expressions, but the most prominent one was sadness. This conversation was heartbreaking even from my perspective. I wanted to intervene, but Koumaijii probably knew that had to happen and in truth, if the two were ever going to get along, long enough to fight as comrades, then this conversation had to happen. So in a way, the sooner the better. It was the only thing Naraku had started that was in our favor.

"Sesshoumaru…that isn't true…He didn't give you Tenseiga out of spite and me Tetsusaiga. He had a reason and…"

"I'm not ignorant, mutt. I don't care about the swords anymore. The swords were my excuse for being pissed off that you took away the one person from whom I sought approval."

Suddenly a lot of things made sense…Sesshoumaru's hatred of humans probably stemmed from his father's love for a human woman that bore Inuyasha. He otherwise probably held no distaste. In fact, Sesshoumaru was no different than a boy who wanted his father's love.

"But it's not my fault…I couldn't help that…" Inuyasha sounded defeated. His ears slacked a little and he looked down. Suddenly, everything felt chilly.

"You do not understand. But that doesn't matter anymore. I ask you right now. I will abolish all of my anger towards you. I will kill all of my resentment towards you, if you take Rin and Kohaku leave. All I want…" He paused as if he was trying to select his words carefully, and for someone as calculated as he was, that meant it was something important, "is that you take my daughter and son to a safe place." He said clearly and actually proudly, looking to Rin and Kohaku as if they were his own. Rin started to squeal and sob and she ran to him as best she could on the bone-covered ground. She plowed into his leg with a huge hug. Kohaku sniffled next to me, but also followed Rin and stood next to him with his hands brushing Rin's hair while she cried.

"Sesshoumaru…" I whispered, not wanting to make him mad, but also wanting to add in my thoughts. "You care about these children so much. I know you've already said it and I know you hate humans, but you care about these two…That means that while you cherish them, they also cherish you. Leaving them here, then running off knowing you're going to your death is a horrible idea. Think of how you would feel if they died…them imagine that both of them would suffer each the same feeling…Not to mention Jaken, whose loyal to you even though you treat him terribly at times; and Koumaijii, who seems to want the best for you. Inuyasha wouldn't have anyone to bitch about and throw his sword around at. I don't want to see you die either…Please don't ask us to leave you to die alone. You have a lot of people who think highly of you."

"Yeah, you dumb bastard. After all the shit we've been through together…Taking on Naraku so many times, even if it was just an accident we teamed up…it would be like all that was going to waste." Inuyasha added with a cocky grin, "So shut up and come on. Your children ain't gonna die under my watch, but neither are you."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and frowned. After a moment of obvious contemplation he opened his eyes and snorted rather unlike himself. "You humans, to put it in a rather blunt light, piss me off sometimes, but fine, this one cannot argue to such logic." He shook his head and looked down to Rin. "…Where is Tenseiga?"

Rin shrieked looking up at him. "Rin left it behind!"

"Worry not, Lord Sesshoumaru. I, Jaken, have retrieved it for you!" The little imp pointed toward the demon creature, where Tenseiga was strapped to it.

Sesshoumaru nodded, it was likely his best way of saying "thanks". He didn't move to take Tenseiga, but I guessed he just wanted to know it was there. "I will say one more thing," the dog demon started, clearly addressing us all, "It does not set well with me to allow the lot of you to risk death in my battle. I'm not responsible for your misfortunes."

"Fair enough." I smiled, though extremely thankful that he was at least not vehemently pushing us away. Inuyasha was trying to use this opportunity to breach an understanding with his remarkably cold, yet some how passionate brother. I had huge hopes for them. I stepped forward, feeling a little brighter. I had to be careful walking on that ground, all covered in bones, but I managed to get closer to Sesshoumaru. My sandals were made of wood which actually was very good considering my other shoes would have had a hard time on all the bone. Sesshoumaru watched me even as I came close enough to reach my hand out and touch him. He had this remarkably curious expression and I thought it was strangely cute for such a miserable guy.

I gave no real warning of my intent, but I reached forward and pulled the front of his Kimono down on the right side. He seemed not even concerned of my actions and Rin was looking up at him in wonder. She was worried about him; I could see it in her little eyes.

"Kagome, what are you…" Inuyasha asked, jumping closer.

"Don't freak out Inuyasha. I wanted to check his wound. He took a nasty bite."

From about ten steps back I heard an apologetic voice, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"You are awake already, Koumaijii?" Sesshoumaru questioned, moving to allow me to inspect the rest of the wound, while I pushed his hair up on his other shoulder.

"You could say that Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Sorry about your face." Sesshoumaru said almost amusedly.

"Ah, my Lord, don't be crass. You're not sorry in the least." The other demon chuckled a little, petting one of the heads of the demon creature that had moved to lie next to him

"…You're not wrong."

I giggled, it was basically demon bickering. "Look at the bright side," I added my own smart remark while undoing the sash around my waist to act as a temporary bandage, "At least the exchange was equal."

"…Priestess makes a point." Koumaijii added quietly.

I beckoned Inuyasha forth as I tried to pull the sash around the demon Lord's body. "Inuyasha, I'm not tall enough for this, but to stop the bleeding best I need him in a standing position while wrapping it."

"All right, but if he takes a bite out of **my** face, it's on you."

"I would hardly go for your face Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru added coolly. "I'd go for a leg, that way I can get permanent amusement watching you hop around all day, trying to pick fights looking like such a retard."

I couldn't help myself when I failed to restrain a little burst of laughter. The way he worded it, his stoic face and toneless voice, it was just too funny to imagine he really said it himself. "Oh…" I uttered looking at the wound up close. "Sesshoumaru, it's healing already."

"Partially. I am a full demon." He answered shortly, but let me continue to wrap it with Inuyasha's help until it was tightly closed around the entirety of the wound. "If I had the capability I would pity the creature that bit me." He looked down to Koumaijii.

Koumaijii coughed slightly, but a smile spread across the only part of his face we could see. "I'm lucky I still have my tongue. Though, I have no taste buds now."

"Well whose fault is it for taking a bite out of a poisonous dog?" Sesshoumaru chided.

"Be thankful I didn't bite your head off."

"Like you could."

I looked over Sesshoumaru's shoulder directly at Inuyasha's face while he watched Sesshoumaru and Koumaijii go back and worth. I knew that expression. He was actually jealous of Koumaijii. I think deep down inside he wanted that sort of relationship with Sesshoumaru, even if he would never admit it. There was no doubt they had things in common with each other. They were both so stubborn and egotistical at time, more Sesshoumaru than Inuyasha there. They both wanted to show up the other. Inuyasha to prove that he was worthy of being Sesshoumaru's rival and Sesshoumaru probably to prove to Inuyasha that he was the more worthy son. It was a truly unfair setup and I wondered what their father was thinking. He had to have a reason, but most of the time it just seemed like there was no sense in it.

"Lord Inuyasha, Lord Sesshoumaru isn't a bad guy." Rin said, standing next to Sesshoumaru while Inuyasha and I tended toward her self proclaimed adopted father. "Rin is very safe and she's very human!" She squealed cutely, reverting to her occasional habit of speaking in the third person.

"Yeah, Rin." Inuyasha kneeled closer to her. "You don't understand quite yet." He patted her head. "I'm not the same as you. And you're very special. You and Kohaku both." Inuyasha chuckled a little, "Well shoot, I'm a little jealous now!" He passed it off like he was joking, but he was actually telling the truth, and I saw it. He knew I saw it. "Oh and sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to insult you Rin. I was really pissed off at this bas…jerk off here."

"You can kiss my ass." Sesshoumaru muttered and I blinked in surprise. He had unknowingly picked up quite a few of the more common human terms in his time around them.

"What was that?" Inuyasha barked standing back tall.

"I said, you. can. kiss. my. ass." There was a devious smirk under the cool exterior that Inuyasha didn't see because of his massive outburst of blind anger.

"Inuyasha, he's fussing with you now." I sighed. Some things never changed.

"Oh?! Well fine, go die for all I care! See if I want to help you anymore!" He seethed. He didn't like being treated so lowly by his brother and there was a difference in the chiding from Sesshoumaru and Koumaijii than Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. There was more respect from the former.

"Don't say it, unless you mean it."

"Well I don't! So there." Inuyasha crossed his arms. A short silence fell over the ground and the strange sort of air in the tomb blew over the ground and made an eerie rattling sound over the tons of corpses. "I wish I could have met him." Inuyasha sighed, staring up at the large corpse. I looked up too. It was certainly an impressive sight.

"He was an impressive demon. He ruled his lands like a true diplomat." Koumaijii complimented his former master. I could see from the corner of my eye that he was moving and I turned. He was in a sitting position. He didn't look as bad as he did before, but he certainly was making a quick recovery. Then again, I'd seen Sesshoumaru stabbed through the chest before and still walk it off like it was nothing. The demon lord himself walked rather leisurely passed me, Rin and Inuyasha and he moved to his underling. Koumaijii's head tilted up, despite the coverings of his eyes. It was like he could see Sesshoumaru anyway. Sesshoumaru's deft fingers reached forward to pull the blood soaked cloth from his face. Koumaijii's sleek features were brought to good light in that tomb and I realized just how much like Sesshoumaru he looked.

"Your eyes are fine, already. You almost had me concerned about your skill level."

"Ah, you're just some demon's brat. I've got you beat for years to come. Until you surpass your old man, you've got nothing on me." Koumaijii bragged, but I sensed sarcasm in there in the extreme. "Well…at least in personality. You're like a rock Sesshoumaru. Smile once in a while."

"It'd probably break his face." Inuyasha added.

"I changed my mind, I am going to kill you when this is over." Sesshoumaru glared.

I took a moment to compose myself for asking a rather personal question, "Say, are you and Koumaijii related, Sesshoumaru?"

"He's my father's brother." Sesshoumaru actually answered honestly, which surprised me a little bit.

"I'm sorry you all met me on such bad terms. I was being manipulated from the beginning, but I tried to give you hints. Truthfully, I am not as strong as Lord Sesshoumaru, but I am a little more tactful in that sort of thing, which is why I tried to keep you, Priestess, away from Sesshoumaru while he discussed with Inuyasha. Interrupted, Inuyasha may have never been able to describe to Lord Sesshoumaru what was happening."

Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru and I was surprised to watch him lightly punch his older brother on the uninjured shoulder. "You bastard, you knew that it was Koumaijii. That's why you split up from us right before he attacked.

"It's called strategy. If I was there he would go straight for me and bypass you. I could have been captured since I was at a disadvantage."

"You risked us to do it…" Inuyasha grumbled.

"I also got injured saving you, whelp."

"Okay guys…" I broke in. "I think we understand that it was all for the best. Now I think we're all able to move out of this place. We can get to the other side of the well once we leave this place. I don't want to risk Naraku finding us. We can discuss what Naraku's intent is there. Okay?"

"That sounds like best approach." Koumaijii agreed.

"If he concurs, than I do as well."

"Yeah yeah, I guess you're waiting on me to open the damn portal," Inuyasha growled. "Let's not make a habit of busting my eye open for this okay?" He said and a large black swirl of violet light appeared before us all.

Koumaijii went through first, my best guess was in order to act as the first line of defense in case something was waiting on the other side. Rin, Kohaku, Jaken and the demon beast went after. Inuyasha beckoned me to go next and I walked through looking back to see Sesshoumaru push Inuyasha through and follow. The trip through the portal was, as always, a strange weightless sensation that ended in me falling out on my face. Well, not my face, but I didn't land gracefully.

"Ow!" Rin cried. "That hurt!" She said rubbing her knee. It looked like she just bumped it.

"I hate that portal," I groaned before I felt a strange whirling in the air. The leaves all dangled as if they were being suspended by someone making the wind perform a dance.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha growled and with that I stood up as fast as I could, thankful that I still had the bow and quiver of arrows that I borrowed from Sesshoumaru's castle.

**To be Continued…**

_Leo: Yeah I know that was probably totally out of character, but I think every now and then Sesshoumaru needs some light shed on him. Don't think I'm turning him into a peace preaching retard. He'll do a lot more jack assery before this is over (which it's like not even close.) This chapter is crucial to future plot points. Just though you should know that. _


	12. The Line Begins to Blur

_I've had this chapter done for a long ass time now...but do you think I would remember to post it...NOOOO. BAD ME._

**The Fragile  
**_Chapter 12 – The Line Begins to Blur_

"What are you doing here, Kagura!?" Inuyasha snarled at the wind sorceress. They had sensed her before, but assumed that she was merely Naraku's eyes and nothing more. Of all the incarnations of Naraku, only Kagura seemed less concerned with making waste of them. She had once made an appearance before Sesshoumaru and was even rescued by him from drowning. Not that he thought she would, but he didn't really have any real reason in most of what he did. She had sat there half naked, with a look in her eyes that pleaded to be free of Naraku, but he suspected Naraku was not giving her that option.

"I'm here to stop you from escaping. Naraku said you'd come back to this place. This village is where you normally reside, am I wrong?" she asked, her slender face was masking a very grim message underneath feminine confidence.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said sharply, and the little green Imp moved the creature and children further back and as close to the well as possible. "What now, Kagome?" He turned to her and she gulped. He had remembered what she said about the well. Now she had to test her theory.

"I have to go with them to the other side, that means you and Inuyasha will have to come over after I take them."

"Then go. Hurry." He said pulling Tenseiga from the creatures back before he motioned for it to leave into the forest. Kagome felt bad for the creature. It was very loyal to its master, but it was far too big to fit through the well.

"Come on!" Kagome said, running toward the well, yelping as the two brothers parried Kagura's wind blades and protecting her from imminent danger. Kagome, grabbed Jaken by the back of his tiny little robes and pulled Rin by her arm. "Kohaku, grab on to Rin!" She called, knowing that Kohaku, loyal apparently to Sesshoumaru, would listen to her after he had told her to take them through. She climbed up on the edge, helping Rin with her before the four of them jumped down. Her silent prayer was answered when the blue-black lights surrounded her; she and the others were travelling into her time. Suddenly the well got even darker than it had been and no stars shone over the well, because it was covered by a shrine that had been built over it in the years that passed when they went through the well. She hoped that they could get out and she could get back to the others before something bad happened.

Inuyasha wondered in morbid curiosity, as he watched Kagome and her little companions disappear, if Kagura knew about the well…And he wondered why Sesshoumaru was using Tenseiga. The sword that couldn't cut would do him no good unless all he was doing was defending.

"If you're smart you will follow them." Kagura's voice filled the silence, before she waved her large fan and blew a rather weak gust at the three. Koumaijii and Sesshoumaru didn't even bother to block, and Inuyasha just side stepped the dangerous wind blades.

"What are you doing Kagura, what are you up to?!" Inuyasha growled, suspicious of her intention, but the nature of her softened expression towards Sesshoumaru attested to what her motive was. She had gone to Sesshoumaru once for help destroy in destroying Naraku and Naraku never figured out her desire to betray him. Sesshoumaru hadn't helped her…so Inuyasha wondered by it appeared like she was doing this out of affection for Sesshoumaru…

"I have to report back to Naraku…Make it look like a real fight before you slip off." She instructed, floating up over them on her feather and creating stronger gusts. Koumaijii jumped back and landed on the edge of the well, Inuyasha landed just in front of him, but Sesshoumaru stayed where he was.

"You're asking for death." He said simply.

"Death is freedom no matter how you look at it, Sesshoumaru. Don't get caught up by Naraku." She said directly to him and him alone, forgetting the other two were even there. "I have a strong conviction in you to kill Naraku."

"And I will. And I could suggest the same for you. Don't cross him unless you're strong enough to overthrow him."

"Inuyasha! Come on, we're ready!" Kagome's voice echoed from the well as she made her trip back from the future, leaving her temporary charges in the future until they could return with the rest of their crew. She held climbed up to the top and with Koumaijii's help, stood up on the edge of the well. "Sesshoumaru! Break away and come on!"

Kagura nodded and he stared at her making direct eye contact. She almost faltered under his gaze, but she kept her composure. She knew he was arrogant and unreachable, but that hadn't stopped her for wishing that she could have her heart back from Naraku in hopes that she could feel her heart beat for Sesshoumaru. Because she knew if she had had her heart in her chest, his gaze would have made it skip a beat. She knew this was why Sesshoumaru hadn't blasted her from the sky when he first caught wind of her trailing them.

"I will honor you, by at least not turning my back to you, Kagura." He said shortly, walking backwards away from her as she hovered closer to the ground than before. It was considered a show of respect to recede from an honorable foe without turning one's back. Without warning he shot upward and destroyed the swarm of Naraku's wasps that had watched their confrontation. He dropped back down and let a piece of his torn Kimono drop to the ground. "Make it look like we struggled." He said, jumping back deliberately into Kagome and Koumaijii. The two standing at the edge of the well couldn't maintain their hold with his body weight thrown into them and the three fell into the portal with a blaze of blue light. Inuyasha, able to follow on by himself looked back at Kagura.

"I don't know what's so damned special about Sesshoumaru that makes you want to protect him, but thanks."

"There's a lot more to him than he lets on Inuyasha." She smiled and fanned a blast of air that was strong enough to pick him off his feet and force him down the well. She watched as the last one disappeared and she did wonder about what was on the other side, but she chose to ignore her wonder and forget what she saw. Naraku would have to face a little disappointment to find that she was so quickly out maneuvered. She turned promptly before she was able to make a full, unnoticed escape.

"Kagura! What are you doing here?!" The masculine voice of the group's monk demanded, preparing his wind tunnel for her. The demon slayer, Sango was not far behind, that much she could have suspected without having seen her. Where there was one the other usually followed.

"I was just leaving. But for your own personal peace of mind, your friends are safe." She said cryptically as her voice carried on the wind and she disappeared in a flurry of leaves. Her hope was on Sesshoumaru now.

"Ow! Sesshoumaru, what the heck was that all about!" Kagome said, pulling herself off of Koumaijii."

Sesshoumaru was the first to recover and jump out of the well, knowing that Inuyasha was following close behind. The sight of the bluish white light attested to that and another loud grunt followed and Koumaijii groaned. "Please people, I am demon but I am still injured here. I don't take well to being jumped all over."

"Well sorry, I didn't think you'd be napping at the bottom of the well!" Inuyasha grumbled and hopped out of the well with ease.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin's voice echoed as she scrambled into the small shrine. She stared up at her protector, but he was preoccupied looking with slight amazement at what was on the other side of the well. He stepped out of the small shrine built around the well and was assaulted by almost completely foreign everything to his sensitive senses. Everything smelled different, the light in the middle of the night alarmed him, and even the air felt different. It was like being in an alien world.

"Welcome to my home, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said, following the demon out once she managed to untangle herself from Koumaijii and Inuyasha. She would have a lot of explaining to do to her mother about why there were two adult demons, two human children and a small toad looking imp in addition to Inuyasha. Lucky for her, her mother was incredibly accepting to her role in feudal Japan. "I know it's probably strange to you…But it's out of Naraku's reach."

"This'll be the best place to leave Rin and Kohaku. We can come up with a plan to kick Naraku's ass too." Inuyasha added.

"Naraku still needs Kohaku's shard…so there's no guarantee that Naraku can't get through…Just as long as he doesn't know about the well, we'll be protected…Unless Kagura…"

"She will not tell him." Sesshoumaru announced with certainty that left no one able to question his absolute conviction in it.

A soft click caused the two demons and the half demon to jump and turn toward the origin. Inuyasha slacked before the other two, recognizing the figure that walked into the open air, peering out toward the shrine and the tree. "Kagome?"

"Hi mom." Kagome smiled and called across the way. "I'm home for a little while…Sorry if I woke you."

"Oh you didn't wake me. I was up reading and I heard a noise." Kagome's mother walked out, "I didn't expect to see so many people though!" She clapped as if it was normal to see a slew of unfamiliar people, including demons.

"Has she gotten into the poppy field or something?" Koumaijii asked in a whisper.

"Nah, she's always like this." Inuyasha snorted. "Hey Mrs. Higurashi." He waved and she smiled wider.

"Inuyasha, it's been a while! You usually just come and go and I barely see you."

"Yeah…well, we're here for a while…I think…" Inuyasha said, looking to Kagome who stepped in. Kagome stepped more into the light cast by the artificial lamps hung around the shrine. She held Rin's little hand and moved close enough to Sesshoumaru to make it clear that he was the subject of the visit.

She pointed to him and then without any reserve or fear of her life she patted her hand against his chest, just below the collar bone. "This guy is in a bit of a bind. He needs to heal up for a little and stay out of a bad demon's reach."

Mrs. Higurashi took a step passed Inuyasha and gave Sesshoumaru a look over. "My, you must be related to Inuyasha…the hair at least. He's handsome Kagome." She said bluntly to her daughter. "You're quite talented in picking up that type eh?" Her words were not taken as they would have if someone like Miroku had said them, her chiding was more honest and less perverted, but teasing in a manner that Kagome always ended up around older, appealing men.

Sesshoumaru shifted the weight from one foot to the other in a nervous tick. He was never intimidated by humans, and even with this strange fascination and lack of fear, he was not intimidated so to speak. However, he was a little wary with how easy he was losing control of his own situation. He was at the mercy of his brother and his brother's human woman…and now Inuyasha's human woman's mother was staring at him like he was a spectacle to beheld…which he was…but he was not about to point out the truth in that. He was quickly falling out of sync with himself. Koumaijii provided a temporary escape from the current portion of his life, but once he recalled the others there it was as if he was reawakened to the fact that he was actually cornered…At the mercy of another. He was ready to die an honorable death, but at the cost of leaving behind what he had—after many long inner battles—decidedly promised to protect.

"Sesshoumaru, if I may call you that." Mrs. Higurashi smiled in a way that reflected Kagome's pleasant expression. Sesshoumaru analyzed her facial features and deeply considered her as an individual rather than just a human.

"You may." He answered curtly, but without emotion. "You would have been a priestess in my time." He continued, instinctively feeling Kagome's eyes on him as he addressed her mother with unbelievable civility.

Kagome pulled back enough to look up at him without being too obvious. She wondered what was going through his mind. Then the depth of his words sunk in and her jaw slacked and she recalled all that she had told him, no where in that time remembering telling him the specific details. "Sesshoumaru, how do you know we're in a different time?"

"I feel it." He answered, but said nothing upon closing his eyes.

"It is difficult to explain, Lady," Koumaijii added for his lord, "You can feel it in your body like a wave that is adjusting to a change in direction. Oh…please forgive me. I'm Koumaijii." He bowed slightly to Kagome's mom. "I'm Lord Sesshoumaru and L-…Inuyasha's Uncle, you could say."

"Oh!" Kagome's mom clapped her hands together, "So Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are brothers then! Well come boys!" She looked from person to person before correcting herself, "And ladies, forgive me." She chuckled. Her voice was soft and pleasant, like a tender breeze. Inuyasha smiled; he always liked Kagome's mom. "Let's get inside. It's pretty late, but Souta is still up and I'm sure there'd be no harm in staying up a little longer to meet you all!"

"Souta is still up?" Kagome blinked with question written in her deeply brown eyes.

"It's Saturday night after all."

"Oh right…" Kagome laughed, but inside felt dumb for forgetting what day of the week it was. She shook her head of the thoughts, however and wrapped one arm around Sesshoumaru's good arm and the other around Inuyasha's arm. She wanted to make a terrible "brother's in arms" joke, but she felt that she would be talking to a less than amusable crowd.

"Woman, I do not need assistance." Sesshoumaru cut coldly. His personality as of late was strangely shifting. One moment he would almost resemble pleasant and even chatty, others he would shell up and become chilly and humorless. Kagome understood well that this was because of his disposition, but she wished he would make up his mind. She didn't dislike him. He had actually saved her as many times as he tried to kill her. Which didn't sound any better put into that perspective, but she wanted to give him a chance as much as anyone else.

"I know, but I thought I would just offer my services, now shut up and deal with it." She announced much to Inuyasha's alarm. He was on her other arm and not exactly comfortable with being such close proximity to his estranged half-sibling, but he was at least a little more comfortable with the guy after their heated argument…which was still unfortunately left half unsolved. Still…that didn't mean he wanted Kagome to antagonize the biggest pain in the ass to walk feudal Japan.

"Kagome, leave him alone." The dog eared man grunted, casting only a short glance in Sesshoumaru's direction. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out that Sesshoumaru was not acting normal. In fact, it worried him more than Sesshoumaru being a total dick. "Let's just go inside."

"Fine." Kagome huffed, but refused to release either brother. "Mom, you don't mind this seriously, right?"

"Oh course not Kagome! Your friends are always welcome!" She said, shooing Rin and Jaken—completely unfazed by Jaken's unusual appearance—toward the house. "You can walk right through that door. My son is in there. You can go say hi to him." She said pleasantly to Rin before she turned back toward Kohaku. "Souta is about your age…you'd probably be friends with him too…Oh," She paused inspecting Kohaku closer, "You look sick dear."

"He was recovering from a fever." Sesshoumaru spoke so suddenly it made Kagome's mother jump. "I had no choice but to make him dress and move."

"Ah, that's fine. I'll just get him into a bed then. You four can make it in on your own I'm sure. Let me know if you need anything." Mrs. Higurashi waved and turned toward the house and walked with Kohaku, who was beginning to falter in his disguise of health.

"Thanks mom!" Kagome called after her. She turned her head toward Koumaijii, who was managing to walk on his own, even if with a little limp in his step. She got her first good look at him under the artificial light. He definitely looked related to the brothers now that she could see his finer features. He had the same eyes as Sesshoumaru; narrow and lined with a dark red. The hair that cascaded down his back, thought bundled up high on his head. He had bluish stripes along his chin that went slightly upward and there was a very precise upside down triangle centered in his forehead. Underneath the point was a smaller, hallow circle shape.

"Say, Koumaijii…" Inuyasha spoke first, as they sauntered toward the house. "How come you didn't mention you were related to us before? I mean you spoke as if you and our father weren't even remotely attached in any way other than master and servant." He broke free of Kagome's grip long enough to pull the door open for the other three; his rare act of courtesy.

"Simple. Naraku had bare control of me. I could not risk disclosing to much information. My elder brother would have hated that I was controlled that easy, but he would have turned in his grave if I disclosed family secrets."

Kagome slipped from Sesshoumaru's arm and held his hand, despite his scathing look, and she led him into her house. She knew it was a bother to him and she didn't care. Inuyasha was always too proud to even tolerate holding her hand for a second. He may have hated it with a passion, but Sesshoumaru didn't kill her or even threaten her for it. He just silently seethed and probably plotted her future death, but for the moment she was essential to his survival. "Why are you a family secret, Koumaijii?" She said, turning back to look over Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"Because I have a different mother than my brother did. Though I may be a full demon, it's no better in our world than Inuyasha's difference in mother to Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Infidelity is not taken lightly." Sesshoumaru added, summing it up in perfectly trimmed wording. `

"Seems to run in the family…" Kagome said idly.

"You don't seem to have a problem with him Sesshoumaru, I though you wee all about demon rules or whatever." Inuyasha grumbled, feeling extremely unloved by his own family. He walked around the front of the room and took a leaping seat next to Souta, who blinked. He had just realized that Inuyasha was next to him. He had been engrossed in his movie.

"Hey Inuyasha!" He grinned wide.

"Hey brat." The half demon grinned and rubbed the boy's hair all up. "Been a while."

"No kidding!"

Kagome pulled Sesshoumaru around and stood him in front of a large chair that seemed fitting for a demon lord like him. It was large and plush, and probably antique, if she knew her grandpa well enough. "Si..." She drawled the word before she paused, "Be seated." She had quickly diverted to another phrase when Inuyasha looked up, fearing the word that almost spilled out of her mouth.

With surprisingly no resistance Sesshoumaru sat in the chair. Inuyasha stared at him like he had grown a second head. Sesshoumaru just listened to Kagome, of all people. Now he could have understood that if his life was in danger, but there were no demons or crazy murderers on the loose in Kagome's house. Except on the TV where Souta played some sort of violent video game.

"That was surprisingly agreeable." She muttered.

"I believe I must rest, I am hallucinating that there are little humans in that box." Sesshoumaru said blandly. He closed his eyes but nodded toward the television and Kagome chuckled.

"Silly, that's a TV. It's a box that projects holograms. There aren't people in it. But you're a lot smarter than Inuyasha, so I think you'd have figured that out on your own. Still, it's just something human use for entertainment." Kagome answered.

"So he's a demon too then?" Souta asked, his eyes not drawn away in the slightest from his video game.

"Yes. Souta, this is Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's half brother. This one here," She put a hand on Koumaijii's shoulder, "is Koumaijii. He's Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's uncle, well…half uncle anyway."

Souta finally turned from his video game. "Wow, I've heard the name Sesshoumaru before!" He said excitedly, before he leaped off the couch and darted toward his room, alarming the occupants of the area. He dug through his dresser drawers before he found a small book with a red cover. He had read the name within the pages of that book and a name like that was not easily forgotten. "Here it is!"

"What's that, Souta?" Kagome asked, sitting on the other side of Inuyasha and patting a spot for Koumaijii to sit also.

"It's an old folk tale book about Japan. There's a passage in here about the mythology of demons and magic." He said flipping through the pages. He scanned the pages hurriedly. "Well, I remember it talking about demon lords and I know I saw that name."

"That's a really old book." Koumaijii stated, taking in the appearance of the book by the cover and the dusty pages.

"Yea, it's my grandpa's. He told me I could borrow it. He says it's a relic or something."

Kagome sighed and looked at Souta incredulously, "And you have it lying around _your _room?" She shook her head, noticing Sesshoumaru's tired glance at their grandfather clock. He probably didn't even want to be there.

"It's not a big deal! It-" Souta paused when the doorbell rang, echoing through the Higurashi house. Kagome turned to look at the door almost alarmed. It was late in the night and last she remembered, no one ever visited that late.

"Uh…I'll get it." She said amidst the suddenly quiet atmosphere. With the danger behind them, there was always the lingering paranoia of another threat. She couldn't, however, imagine that Naraku had managed to follow them that fast. Even if Kagura told, which Kagome had the sneaking impression that she wouldn't because she respected Sesshoumaru.

She stood and stepped around the cords leading from her brother's controller to the video game system. She stepped lightly and ran into her mother as she stepped off the rug and on to the wooden floor. "Don't worry mom. I got it." She said, knowing her mother would recede back into the room that she had taken the children into.

"Okay, just let me know if you need anything." She smiled and left back into the room.

Kagome opened the door with a quiet, hesitant, "Hello?" She looked up at two individuals, both dark haired and adorned in dark colors; and she stepped back.

"Good, they are here. You're memory isn't as shitty as I thought." One, the shorter one, said to the other and reached a hand out to shove Kagome backward into her home. Both of them stepped in and closed the door. They took little notice of Inuyasha and Koumaijii, who had jumped up the moment something didn't seem right. Inuyasha audibly growled and moved to reach for Tetsusaiga.

The taller one watched Inuyasha take on a threatening stance, "Oh for the love of…SIT." The older man said, nailing the half demon to the floor. Kagome looked up in horror. Why could he use that word affectively against Inuyasha?!

The second loud thud against her precious floor caused her attention to drift to the younger dark haired man, who had plummeted toward the floor just as her Inuyasha had. The dark haired man recovered much faster, however, and he stood. He turned to his companion with a venomous snarl, "Fucking A, Sesshoumaru, that works on me too!"

A not so gentle fist smacked into the younger man's face, "Damn it, you've said too much already you ingrate." Scolded the man called 'Sesshoumaru'.

"Wait a god damn minute." Inuyasha said, stepped as close as possible without feeling threatened. "You just called him Sesshoumaru…and you…you're affected by the subjugation beads the same as I am!? Who the hell are you!?"

The younger looked to the elder and narrowed his eyes, "Don't even say it."

"How can I not?" pseudo-Sesshoumaru said blandly, "You were as stupid then as today apparently. Isn't it obvious. He's you, half wit. As I am Sesshoumaru." He pointed to the feudal Sesshoumaru who had a face that spelt none other than shock, if that was even possible for that face. "We're the 21st century you. And we're here for a good reason."

Inuyasha didn't back down, still skeptical, "Oh? And what's that?"

"To save your asses, that's what." The modern Inuyasha said with a cocky grin.

**To be continued… **

_Leo: For anyone wondering, WTF? Here's my logic, Kagome lives only 500 years in the future from these guys, 100 years is like nothing to a demon, so I've always wondered if these two were somewhere lingering in Kagome's time, but under the disguise of humans. Now I will go into more depth on that in the next chapter. But I wanted to do what I've never seen. Make my favorite boys meet themselves.  
_


	13. Complication

**The Fragile**_  
Chapter 13 – Complication_

I stared at these two home intruders for what felt like forever. The taller one, self proclaimed Sesshoumaru, was definitely the right size for his claim. However, he held none of the demonic features our proud version held. His long hair wasn't as long, about mid-back and bound at the base of his neck, it was also jet-black in color. There were no markings on his face and even his ears looked perfectly…human. He looked perfectly human. Some how, that didn't seem right for Sesshoumaru to convert human just because of the changing time. I would have sworn on my life that he would have rather died in a blaze of glory than submit.

This modern Inuyasha however, took me by surprise. I could have recognized him if I hadn't had my mind in every direction at once. But sure enough, it was Inuyasha. His hair was cut about shoulder length, barely touching the black jacket he was bundled in. It was and wasn't Inuyasha…it was…perplexing.

"Inuyasha, you say…" Our Sesshoumaru spoke first following the future Inuyasha's words, "You are here to quote 'save our asses'. However, if you say that, then you are implying that we failed without assistance of ourselves from the future. Then explain, exactly, what would happen to our future selves should we irrevocably alter time?"

The dark haired Inuyasha scowled at his 'friend', "I told you you'd be the one to make this difficult Shou. Before we get too much into this, let's establish a name system here. Because this is going to be a pain in the ass other wise," He pointed to 'Sesshoumaru', "Call him Shou. It's the only name I've come up with that he won't kill me for. Call me Yasha, not much different, but at least I'll know who you're talking to." He clarified. "Okay, how can we explain this that makes sense..."

"How about we ask question and you answer them as we go?" I suggested and 'Shou' looked to me.

"Sounds fair." He said agreeably. He was a strange Sesshoumaru if he was legitimate. But I suppose years could alter someone. He just seemed warmer.

"Okay, to start, why do you both look human and why did Inuyasha's beads work for you?"

"Great questions. They're disguises. Demons are scarce and must remain hidden or obviously face some problems in this modern world. As for your second question, I cannot answer that."

"What do you mean you can't answer that?" Inuyasha barked like an angry puppy. "You know what I don't trust either of you, you both smell too off kilter for me." He pulled Tetsusaiga crudely from its sheath. The sword swelled to its large blade and seemed to fill up my house.

"Inuyasha!" I screamed, "Not in the house!" I darted in between him and our 'guests'.

"Damn it Kagome! I don't know what's with you but they're lying!"

"SIT boy!" I cried with a frown. The loud echo of Inuyasha thumping to the floor temporarily cleared the tension, but the second thud brought it right. I turned around to stare down at…Yasha, incredulously. He was looking up at me from the floor with a heated distaste for my brash decision to subjugate him. He turned his head when Shou's hand appeared close to his face and he took the hand. The larger brother helped him to his feet effortlessly. _One hand_…I noticed. "Uh…Shou…" _God that sounds weird_, "could you pull up your left sleeve?"

"Must I?" He said tonelessly, but managed to snake in a little irritation too.

"I implore you." Sesshoumaru's deep voice brought attention to him. He stood, shedding his outer robe, leaving only the white base robe on his upper body. With his only hand he pulled the loose sleeve of his under clothing up and probably against his personal wishes, exposed his hack sawed arm. "This will attest to whether you die here or not."

"I do believe you now when you speak of me being a dick in the past, Yasha" He answered, and I could actually hear our Sesshoumaru in the way he spoke it. Modern in wording, but classic Sesshoumaru in delivery. "Very well." Begrudgingly, he pulled off his heavy baggy jacket. He struggled with the left sleeve but he managed to remove it completely. Sure enough, the arm was severed in the same place.

Sesshoumaru walked around Inuyasha and stood next to me, facing this man directly. "I believe you." He finalized, not sparing the amputated limb another glance. "My only question remains, what do you want? To change the future could possibly write you out of it."

"We can't tell you what happened. That's obviously entirely too risky. We don't want to rewrite the entire future, just edit it a little." Yasha offered in his brother's place. "You can't understand exactly why we're here. But we have all your memories, we remember this very moment sitting here and that boy opened that book."

"I looked at that clock right there." Shou continued and pointed to the grandfather clock I had seen Sesshoumaru looking at before. "It has been exactly five hundred years from that time I was standing in your place, doing something completely different than looking at an older –relatively sexier—version of myself. Now I cannot tell you what I was doing, because that again defeats the purpose. But I can tell you that you won't be doing the same thing I did."

"Not to mention, life will be much better, trust us." There was a sorrow in the future Inuyasha's eyes that attested that something horrible happened; that something didn't go according to plan. Though I did take notice in the way the two modern day brothers were standing very close to each other. Shou had offered his hand to Yasha, and they were speaking in a way that enhanced the other, instead of opposed.

Shou noticed the way I was looking at him. I yelped and averted my eyes to avoid him thinking I was oogling him or something. "What ails you Kagome?" He asked and I looked back. He called me Kagome…not priestess.

"Well…I…I just noticed you two are…friends now." I said softly, looking from Shou to Yasha then back to Shou. "You are aren't you?"

He smiled in a melancholy way that only the future Sesshoumaru could manage. "You could say that we have come to a certain…agreement."

"If you wanna call it that." Yasha snorted.

"So…" Koumaijii interrupted, being the nonbiased person of the group. "What is it that you plan for us to do differently than before?"

"I cannot specify, but if you will please…Souta, may I see that book?" Shou asked, his long hair spilling over his shoulder when he leaned forward to accept the book from my little brother who was instantaneous in his response time. He didn't want to get in the middle of that anymore than I did. "This book was a major source of the problem. It was written by a young priestess. She was quite a fair lady, but she was far too cold and when she wrote this she wrote it in malice with intention of destroying the future as we all anticipated it. A simple written verse in that time became a relic that was more believable in this time to someone who had lived back then. She wrote here of the destruction of the demon kind, caused by the demon lord of the western lands. In other words, you, Sesshoumaru are the one responsible for the downfall of all demon kind…according to this. Had you read this without knowledge of its writer, I promise you would react much differently than to scowl at me."

"Stop talking." Sesshoumaru barked.

"Oh, my apologies, I imposed upon a touchy subject." Shou said mocking his past self. He snapped the book shut and a haze of dark green mist radiated from his hand, seeping from his fingertips into the book's worn bindings. The cover burned into the middle and the pages curled and turned to ash, floating to the floor in a sandy dust.

"Hey! That was my grandfather's book!" I protested, even if it was a little to late to stop him or try to salvage the book.

"This book was written by a witch disguised as a loving soul and she merely sought to drag you all to hell with her." I could definitely see Sesshoumaru in this guy now, with the dangerous look he cast to me, then to Inuyasha as a warning not to make a move too sudden.

Souta pouted at the loss of his treasure, "It's just a book… how can it cause harm."

"I don't suggest asking ignorant questions, human boy." Sesshoumaru said, surprising me. He sounded like he understood, or at least got the basic principle of what was being asked. "I remember keenly the black pearl disappearing from my brother's being when the portal closed. Now, I took a gamble when I attempted our escape, but that pearl should not have been there both times we used it…you put it there did you not?"

The black haired Sesshoumaru looked at his younger self with nothing short of pride, "I thank myself for being so smart back then."

"You…you led us here discretely…"

"Well, you were supposed to be here…just not all together. In truth, what I can tell you is that in our experience only Inuyasha and I made it across the well. The rest of you were left behind and retrieved later. You were brought here and you stayed here for a prolonged period of time to recover."

"So, you're saying you can cross the well." Souta added, with remarkable logic.

"Smart boy. Not even in on this whole mess and understood it better than even the most involved ones." He looked directly at me. I was, after all, the one who crossed the well the most.

"Wait, so you crossed the well and changed history! Then why didn't it change for you?"

"Simple…"Yasha said, rejoining after his brother had clearly become tired of answering stupid questions, "Time is suspended within the feudal era. When the Shikon Jewel disappears, then time will catch up and we will be truly affected."

"So everything we do here is just waiting to take affect later." Koumaijii added.

"Yes, like a computer updates but is not complete until it restarts." Yasha said, most specifically to me, because he knew I would understand the analogy. "You can make as many changes as you want, but the full effect will not set in until you fully reinitiate it."

"You mean complete the jewel." Inuyasha offered.

"Bingo." Yasha answered, "Problem is, Naraku, as I remember has the entire jewel, save for a few scattered shards, including Kohaku's. Kohaku will have to remain guarded carefully."

"Then how will we…You mean we have to complete the jewel in order to fix the errors that were made? There's no way to defeat Naraku before the jewel is completed?" I asked, seeing the instant flaw in our plan to leave the kids over here, since Kohaku would die without the shard, and that would mean he would have to be brought back with us.

"I'm sorry, that question cannot be answered further. If I say too much, then I may corrupt what we've already set in motion."

Inuyasha grumbled and folded his arms. Tetsusaiga had returned to its sheath, but the owner was not any more pleased than before. "So basically, you've still told us absolutely nothing. Well this is bullshit. If we're supposed to be changing the future that, as you seem to have decided, sucks, then why won't you tell us what to do to fix it?"

"Simple, Inuyasha." Our Sesshoumaru answered, which surprised me. I was expecting a response from our strange guests, but the answer came from none other than our own teammate. "If they tell us how to fix it. They have to tell us what is to happen. In order for us to change the future, we have to have no restraints. If we know what calamity is to take place, then we may overcompensate and—for terms you may understand—fuck it up worse."

Inuyasha growled when I giggled aloud. I wasn't trying to provoke him, but hearing those words out of the Ice Prince's mouth was so bizarre it was unreal. Sesshoumaru was always elegant and coy, in a sense. He spoke only when he needed to and often used a manner of speaking that reduced the need for commoners' words. Hearing any swear word out of him was a notable occurrence.

"Told you I was the smart one." Shou's voice—identical to Sesshoumaru's—teased Yasha.

"Ah Shut up, ya cripple."

"Crippled, yet I can still kill you."

Yasha folded his arms with a snort, "You haven't yet."

"I have gone mad in the last several hundred years of your presence."

"So…" I interrupted carefully, "You two have been together all of the time leading up to now?" It was hard to be sure what I could and couldn't ask. Past events were being cut off from us very sharply, but I didn't figure asking simple and open questions could hurt anything.

"Begrudgingly." Shou responded, looking at Yasha with a gaze that almost seemed to will the other's mouth from uttering anything.

"This…is fuckin weird," Our Inuyasha stated suddenly, "I'm sorry, but this. Is kinda creepin me out."

"So, would attacking you be considered suicide then?" Sesshoumaru asked out of the blue and a few pairs of eyes looked at him. "Or, if I killed myself, would it be considered homicide?"

Yasha looked at Shou and blinked. Shou gave him a look that spelled out in perfect letters: 'Don't even speak.' Yasha was the one to reply to Sesshoumaru, despite Shou's deadly glare. "Please don't do either to find out. Because I certainly don't want to clean up blood and then suddenly poof, this one disappears when you fix the shit in the past."

I wouldn't help but make a little 'aww' noise. It was making our boys extremely uncomfortable, I could tell; but…it was so pleasant to see this was a possible outcome for them. If they were like this in tragedy, then they could be even better in harmony. Granted, I wasn't expecting them to suddenly start man-hugging every other minute, but at least there might be less fists flying.

"Look…Our visit with you here is running short. We have a place to be currently, but please stay here until you are rested. The time for you to return will make itself present to you." Shou stated flatly after he glared down our Grandfather Clock. He nodded to Yasha and they turned with the fluid grace only a talented demon seemed to be able to do.

"**Wait**." Sesshoumaru actually stood this time. His focus seemingly brought back as the two dark haired brothers turned to him. "If I was the one to cause all of this, how can this be fixed? How will we know when we are moving away from the ultimate situation that led to this? You escaped Naraku."

For a moment, silence hung in the air like a thick blanket. I hadn't had the sense of mind to consider that if they were here, it meant they had evaded Naraku or defeated him. But if they had defeated him, why would they wish to change it now?

"I…cannot tell you everything you wish to know. Because if you know, you would end up deciding your course of action foolishly. You…I…**our** strongest trait is not level headedness when we are in a bind. Sesshoumaru, you are aware of this. I am aware of this. I am more willing to speak it than you, because _my_ pride was shattered centuries ago. But I can tell you, Naraku was not defeated entirely."

A little alarm set off in my head, "Wait, are you saying Naraku exists in my time too?"

"Yes."

"But…where?" Inuyasha asked, surprisingly dropping any and all hostility.

Yasha turned to Shou, "Isn't this one of those things we ought to keep quiet about? I mean, it's kinda after the fact of it all, but couldn't it cause some kind of problem?"

"Logically, we should not tell them, but perhaps the gravity of the situation may reflect better on them if we did." Shou replied and suddenly their very presence felt more serious and the atmosphere almost seemed to darken by the feelings alone.

"I am listening with an open mind," Sesshoumaru prodded again. I could sense the agitation growing in him again. Considering what we've been running from it's a wonder he hadn't actually lost his mind.

Shou sighed deeply, looking from each face as if there were memories to be found within each, which was reasonable considering they had been clearly without everyone but each other for a very long time. "Naraku is being isolated and contained within my body."

I really couldn't help the small gasp that left my mouth. I think I subconsciously stepped back too. I couldn't sense anything, no aura, nothing at all that indicated Naraku. And this Sesshoumaru…this stranger had shown up out of the blue hosting the monster that had ruined so many lives. I stirred back to real time only when Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga once more. I even moved to stop him but I wasn't quick enough to stop Inuyasha from a mad dash that only ended with one Tetsusaiga against a duplicate sword.

"Sorry, as stubborn and stupid as _we_ are, I can't let you go jumping on impulse." Yasha said, fending off his past self with the ease that our Sesshoumaru usually held Inuyasha back with.

Inuyasha growled with a grittiness that I knew meant he wasn't handling all this at once very well. "Look you bastards. You come here tossing some crazy stories at us, but fail to mention that this son of a bitch over there is holding Naraku within his body? Really?"

"Inuyasha." Shou said with an expression unrecognizable by our versions usual standard. It was a cross between general irritation and actual…anguish maybe? All I know, is I'd never seen it on Sesshoumaru's face. "Sit."

Both Inuyashas made a sudden face and hit the deck, swords clanging to the floor. To be honest, I was thankful for the abrupt lack of giant dangerous weapons in my house. For a moment I alone locked eyes with the future Sesshoumaru. I could see the darkness in his eyes and suddenly, I was terrified. Not terrified of him, but terrified of seeing that look again. "How is Naraku….held within your body, Sesshoumaru." I asked softly, unable to stop the full name slip. Shou just sounded so…weird.

"Unfortunately, I cannot explain that much to you. We've spent centuries working this out to change this future. We will cease to exist as we are when the Shikon Jewel is completed and eradicated, but it will not affect us as a whole. Your understanding when the time comes will ultimately lead to a time shift merger and there will no longer be an 'us' and 'them'. I sealed Naraku within my body as a last ditch effort to fix what transpired. Unfortunately the sacrifice was enormous and as the priestess predicted in the text, led to me destroying all but a tiny fraction of all demonkind."

"Shou!"

"I know. We said more than we agreed to, but at this point, so much has already been altered that there's a chance we may be able to allow it." He turned to me, specifically me. "You must be sure you are ready when you go back into the past, because until you destroy Naraku, you will be unable to return here."

"Does that mean we can't leave the children here?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"You will have to pay a visit to your mother, _Sesshoumaru._ With her will be the safest place to leave Rin and Kohaku."

I almost had to double take Sesshoumaru's expression following his future self's words. It almost seemed like…disappointment? Or maybe…what's the word I'm looking for…dread. That's the word. Dread.

"You are a masochist." Our demon prince stated flatly.

"You would know," the less icy version shot back.

"Shou." Yasha said softly, giving his brother a look. "We _have_ to leave. Our message has been passed. Our place in this is done. Give them the last words and let's leave."

"Yes, when we leave here, you will not see us again, I'm afraid. Our meddling in the past has become no longer possible. The last words I can say to you. Is when the time comes, you cannot hesitate. Do not doubt, do not pause, do what you feel is the right path with a clear head."

"Easier said than done." Inuyasha sighed, watching them as they both turned to the door. He spoke up once more as the two both stood with the door open. "But…We'll fix this shit. Talking to myself or not, we will fix what you screwed up. We're all screw ups here. We're all hopeless fools right now, but even idiots can take on the world and win."

It was almost magical as my eyes drifted from both Sesshoumarus. The look reflected on both of them was almost the exact same. Only Shou was willing to open his mouth and let the words spill out before they disappeared as fast as they appeared.

"_And that's the only thing about humanity I truly appreciate."_

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_A/N: :'D Yeah…remember when I used to update this thing? Me neither ._. So yes, this is the updated chapter…Two WHOLE years later. OTL life has steered me in a direction that has led away from creative writing, but I am trying with valor to get myself back into it to finish my brain children. This story being one of my most treasured for its deep thought plot that I had brainstormed for years. I apologize to anyone who read this back then, and to anyone who may be reading it, thank you for sticking with it or thank you for the first time read. Let me know what you think!_


	14. Even Deeper

**The Fragile**  
_Chapter 14 – Even Deeper_

Kagome, along with almost everyone else in the room, watched the two leave and save for Sesshoumaru—who was certain is was simply hallucinations at that point—felt like what they had just seen was probably a very bad sign for what was to come. A shiver went through her at the last words spoken by the future Sesshoumaru. Something about those words seemed void and almost…alien.

Everything to the point they were at seemed utterly alien. She had to try and recount what all had happened, and her mind simply didn't have the space at the moment to run through the steps. She'd seen Naraku wielding powers that terrified her, Kagura _helping_ them, Inuyasha actually defending his borderline suicidal brother and Sesshoumaru making jokes. All of the things that she'd sworn could not happen. The last in that list being the most terrifying of all.

'Speaking of Sesshoumaru…' She turned to him. He'd moved closer to her when the intruders stepped in with their cryptic messages. She surveyed him warily. She knew he wasn't exactly fond of his personal space being invaded, much less by a human that wasn't Rin or Kohaku. But she was also keenly aware of the several very prominent wounds he'd been subjected to. She'd seen Inuyasha rendered unconscious for days over less, so it was without a doubt that he had to be nearing his exhaustion point. "Sesshoumaru…" She said softly.

He simply turned his head and gave her the same distanced look his face always wore. He probably wasn't even aware that his facial expressions never changed. "Hn?"

'Well…at least he answered me.' She thought idly. "Um…you probably should si…" she dragged the syllable out and much to Inuyasha's appreciation she altered the word, "be seated and rest. Even if we have some time…who knows how much."

It was without any hesitation that Sesshoumaru retreated back to the chair Kagome had brought him to originally. His body was aching in ways he hadn't felt since his childhood. It brought a tinge of shame to him on a personal level that he allowed himself to get in such a position and as much as he wanted to blame his human charge for his injuries, carelessness and ever growing _soft spot_, he could not seem to actually convince himself of a fault other than his own. He'd made too much of a commotion in the times he _had_ trifled with Naraku, that Naraku had taken more notice of his potential than he would have liked. That went without saying, that had Naraku challenged him in a state of non-distraction, Sesshoumaru would have obliterated Naraku without hesitance.

His first and foremost cares had some how become Rin. Without even noticing, he realized as he rested in the Priestess's foreign place, he had become no different than his father. It was almost as if his family line was somehow cursed with afflictions for humanity. Not that he was jumping to save any human that wasn't Rin or perhaps benefited him at the time, but he wasn't exactly appalled that he had simply abandoned his battle in order to take Rin to the safety of the idiot brother he resented because of his father doing the same thing he was doing right now.

Had Sesshoumaru had a son, would his heir have hated him for protecting Rin with his life?

Thinking this way hadn't exactly stilled the distaste that had welled up in him for years. His father died for the human woman and her half breed son and Inuyasha had gotten himself sealed to a tree when Sesshoumaru actually came to—in certain words—ask for help against the Panther Clan. Inuyasha was spoiled with absence of the kind of life Sesshoumaru had lived. Not that the Ice Prince was lacking for anything material, but it was the warmth he'd seen his father give the woman who he'd abandoned his son for.

He blinked slowly. He wasn't certain why he was thinking so deeply on anything at this point. His mind had already made plans and concreted them the moment he landed in Inuyasha's territory. At the opportune moment he would separate himself from them. As much as the humans enjoyed their positive outlook—and as much as he wished he was capable of believing in such a ridiculous notion—he had already predicted the out come. Luck was not something he was willing to hold hands with for very long.

Naraku was an annoyance to say the least, but even the Demon Lord wasn't stupid enough to think his power alone as he was enough to put Naraku down enough to keep this trouble out. If anything, Naraku wanted them to fight him. In a sense, they were fighting Naraku just by running. It didn't set well with him…at all, but now that his wards were in safe hands. Dying to escape that fate didn't appall him as much and if it came down to it, he would without hesitation take his own life. If anyone was going to take Sesshoumaru's life in such an unfitting way, it would Sesshoumaru himself and no one else.

"Hey, are you in there?" He heard his brother's obnoxious voice, but didn't have the energy to care enough to even tell him to be silent. All of his collective injuries had finally caught up and he had been not looking forward to being in such a vulnerable position before his idiot whelp of a brother. There was a pause that almost seemed to last forever before that voice echoed in his head again. "Sesshoumaru?"

Inuyasha's voice tainted with that filthy human concern didn't even stir anything in him. He was almost…disturbed at this feeling of complacency that had over taken him. All his mind could do was think. Consider. Rethink. Expand. Rethink again.

Wait…when had they stopped moving?

"Kagome." Inuyasha beckoned Kagome back from the kitchen, where she had disappeared to gather a couple cold damp towels. "He's not responding at all. His eyes are still open, though."

"He's not responding?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He had seemed fine moments before…albeit he'd been weird since he rained down on their parade in the very beginning of the journey. As she'd made a mental note…he _joked_ on occasion. That in itself was cause to be concerned. That and he made no real threat to Inuyasha. Of course, she'd noted a while back, if he wanted him dead, Inuyasha would have been dead. But, taking a look at him from how Inuyasha had seen him, it was clear that he wasn't responding normally.

"Koumaijii. What's wrong with Sesshoumaru?"

The silver haired uncle of the two brothers looked up from his seated position on the floor by the wall closest to Sesshoumaru. "He's most likely in shock."

"Shock?"

He nodded to Kagome, "as he told me, he had been running from Naraku for several days, poisoned, and injured in several fights, including his fight with me. However…" He stared toward the door and back to Inuyasha who seemed to be considering as well.

"Wait." Kagome started, watching the two men's eyes darting from important places back. "Do you think it's a reaction from the two who just left?"

"I can't really say, milady…but shock can be a physical defense to block out pain and allow healing…or it may be induced."

"Heh, that's all I needed to know. Kagome. We're going after those two." Inuyasha declared.

"Wait what?" She stared at him, slack jawed.

"Look, Sesshoumaru is fine here; he can heal up while we're gone. But something is fishy about what just happened. I have a couple questions they brushed off."

She couldn't exactly tell him he was wrong for thinking that. Things didn't exactly all fall into place neatly, starting with the story that had ended with a priceless book being destroyed. Something had been in that book other than that passage that was important to the future and past. Her naivety had originally had her believing the modern Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, but simply knowing that this modern version was a container for Naraku, complicated things to a degree that made the line between fact and fiction a little hazy.

How desperate she wanted to believe it would be so simple. If simply making it back to the other side could change the future, she wanted to know why they were still instructing further. If more than just the brothers had made it back, then how was the future not already in better shape than before?

Could this 'container' actually be leading them to change the future in favor of Naraku? Hell, she didn't even know any more. But more and more, she wanted to see justice for Sesshoumaru's efforts. He had gotten a bite taken out of his shoulder protecting her and she owed him. Even if it was a simple obligation, she had to see this through.

"Okay." She nodded. "Come on, let's hurry then. They could have gotten anywhere by now and the scent won't be as strong in my world."

Inuyasha nodded and swooped in to grab her, taking off through the front door, opening it without a moment's pause and taking to the air in his normal fashion. He could still smell the future version of himself, but the other had no defining scent. He had thought it a little odd. There was a scent to him, it just seemed…bottled. A common flavor. Or a mask to a scent that lay underneath. He couldn't trust anything anymore, let alone something that looked like his brother _and_ carried Naraku in it.

For all intents and purposes…Inuyasha was doing this for his stupid brother now. He wasn't the fool Sesshoumaru thought he was, well, not entirely. Even a half-breed like him could feel and smell the lost resolve leeching his brother's will to fight. If he thought dying was the better option…then Inuyasha would just have to beat the will back into him. He was not about to one-up the man who had all of his strength plus one-hundred fold of that. Sesshoumaru was stronger, as much as it made him want to eat his own teeth to admit. If Sesshoumaru—in all of his _godly_ glory—was giving up, then the rest of them may as well lay down with their necks exposed to Naraku's chopping block.

"Kagome. I think they're making way on foot." He announced, breaking his inner thoughts. The scent is still fresh.

"That's odd. In this modern world, they should have been able to take a faster route…Unless it's a trap."

"No…It doesn't feel like a trap." He replied, jumping far from a light post to the next one. "They're not hiding, but they're not trying to be found either."

"Why would they do that?"

He looked down at her in between a long jump. "Remember what they said. According to them, only I and Sesshoumaru made it through the well in their past. So they may not have been anticipating that to already have changed stuff."

"You mean…" She blinked. "They don't think we'd come after them?" Her question spanned over two extra pairs of ears as Inuyasha landed squarely before the two dark haired future demons.

"I told yo-"

"Silence, half breed." The sultry voice of 'Sesshoumaru' effectively did silence Inuyasha's future self.

"Alright. Start talking now. I'm tired of this bullshit." Inuyasha demanded within seconds of letting Kagome to her feet, Tetsusaiga drawn and transformed. "Or I'll start cutting you bastards down one at a time."

"I would not advise cutting either of us down. Or thinking you can, Halfling." The elder one threatened loosely.

"Look, I want to believe you." Kagome started. "But, how are we to know that you're not just Naraku trying to trick us?"

"And what did you do to Sesshoumaru?" A growl erupted from the brash half-demon bearing the dangerous weapon.

"You would calm the fuck down!" The other Inuyasha—"Yasha"—growled right back, drawing the same weapon. "I told you they wouldn't understand. We should have kept the Naraku bit silenced."

"They wouldn't have suspected any less, I hadn't anticipated the Priestess and my Advisor to be there, neither did you."

Inuyasha's patience was spreading thinner by the second and Tetsusaiga was rattling quietly. "Enough! Why did you paralyze Sesshoumaru?"

'Yasha' whistled lightly and kept his guard mere feet from his elder brother. "I'm surprised you gathered that much."

"Inducing shock. Koumaijii said it could be instilled. We really weren't sure, but you seemed to have confirmed it anyway. Instilled shock isn't much different than paralysis." Kagome offered her part in the conversation. "Why? If you're trying to change the future, why can't you tell us what happened? We could avoid it if we knew!"

"If I told you the future—Priestess—then both of you would be unable to make the choices to ultimately fix the error. Only under that pressure _can_ you make that decision. If you know the events, I know the mistakes _I_ would make. I paralyzed my alternate self because of the simple fact that if he has free movement at this time, he will make a decision worse than the one I in this future made. I know what he is thinking, because I was making those same thoughts."

"But that explains nothing! There are too many things you didn't tell us."

"To top that off, you were sneaky about what you did. He didn't even notice you putting him in a trance."

"But you did." Inuyasha's future self stated blandly.

"I didn't know anything other than not to trust you fuckers. Considering this Sesshoumaru here smells like a wood _soap_ instead of what he should smell like."

"How primal. Relying on familiarity of scent to base your judgments. Your problem lies not with us, but with the world you will return to." _Shou_ spoke, stepping up in between the two. "You will both put your weapons away. This brother of mine is the seal keeping Naraku at bay. If you kill him, you break the seal and condemn this world to damnation. So use the head our father was kind enough to bless you with."

Inuyasha stepped back, eyes widening slightly at the sudden announcement. That had explained the reasoning for their apparent closeness. He sheathed the sword once more. "How can we trust you…" He said into the wind.

"You have no choice. I cannot force you to listen. We have trespassed into your world for as long as my body would allow it. We have guided you all here and now we are forcing you to stay until the shock is lifted. The manifestation has already begun."

"Wait, manifestation?" Kagome's little voice seemed strong as the weight of the topic suddenly came down on Inuyasha. She hadn't been able to feel this brother's aura, or the scent wafting through the wind when Sesshoumaru's blood had been spilled.

"By this point in time, Naraku has already buried his essence into you _your_ brother's heart. Five hundred years ago, a small seed was planted. A poisonous one, sunk even deeper; a malicious infestation."

"Yeah but we got rid of th-" Inuyasha stopped midsentence. He wasn't known for his moments of brilliant thinking and at that moment, he wished he could keep not having moments like that. 'A fucking decoy within a decoy,' he thought, looked down gritting his teeth. 'Sesshoumaru's natural poison is masking Naraku's. _FUCK._'

"With all this being said, and I honestly grow tired of speaking, we can do no more for you." The black haired Sesshoumaru stood against the light of the moon. Kagome could see his melancholy aura just in the way he turned his face from them, the wind dragging his hair back, almost as if it had a life of its own. Caressing him. Protecting him.

"Ses…shoumaru…" She started, reverting back to the name that felt right. "Please understand our concerns. We are tired and beaten back, but we're not ready to give up if we have options. If what you're saying is truly what will change the outcome of this, and that we have to believe in the decisions we make. We'll do it. But nothing can ever go according to plan. Nothing ever can be predicted. All we can do is try to can change what would have happened. We can't rely on luck…"

"Because luck runs out." He finished, watching her with hallow eyes.

"I…am not willing to send you to death to defeat Naraku." She declared. "It's our burden too. If all demon kind is to be destroyed by your hands, so be it. But I don't think it will happen because a bitter witch with a sacred arrow wrote some lies. Not now it won't."

The Sesshoumaru before her cocked a brow almost amusedly. "You're quite aware of the author of that text then. You were perceptive, I had forgotten."

She nodded, but did not say. She knew Inuyasha's heart would shatter to hear it, even if she suspected the half-demon had already concluded it for himself. "I suspect there's nothing more _at all_ you're willing to tell…"

"I simply cannot."

"I see. Well, we will win. And in the future, the good one, your smile won't be empty, neither will your soul."

"I would really like to believe you."

She turned from him, nodding to Inuyasha, who was in just as much turmoil as she. He didn't look back, neither did she. It was as if looking back would only act to hammer the nail deeper into the realization that Sesshoumaru wasn't running from Naraku, he was simply prolonging the purgatory to what was simply inevitable. Naraku was no fool and Inuyasha knew his brother wasn't either. But…was he aware of what was going on? The seed Naraku planted was a decoy, to the false shard…which was also a decoy, to the poison that was pulsing through every vein and artery. He was contaminated from the moment he'd drawn Tokijin.

Without a word, Inuyasha led them back to Kagome's house. They had left in a panicked flurry, set to defend his brother and hopefully lift the 'shock' placed on him, but the half-brother wasn't sure he wanted Sesshoumaru aware now. 'Well, that explains why he's been itching to jump in his own grave. His body is warning him.' Inuyasha thought grimly. 'This sucks. What can we do?'

What could they do? He was ruffling his own fur in his frustration. He let Kagome down and immediately retreated to the roof of her house to skulk. He had to think. No one who had been corrupted by Naraku had walked out without losing something. He'd lost Kikyo. Kikyo lost her life and the love in her heart. Miroku lost his father and could lose his life as well. Sango lost her family and almost lost her little brother. Kohaku lost his own trust in himself along with his family. And…there were countless others.

And those…were all nothing compared to what Naraku was hatching now. Puppeteering was a hobby of the monster's, but this was beyond just puppetry. This was slavery. This was taking free will and crushing someone's soul slowly. This was dominating someone as powerful as his brother and it send cold shivers down his spine. He wasn't entirely stupid. He was well aware that Sesshoumaru could have ended him several times. The power that could have ended him, being forced to submit.

Not only was Inuyasha afraid he couldn't bring himself to kill Sesshoumaru morally…but he was afraid he wouldn't even have the power with which to do so anyway.

_Fuck._

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_A/N: Holy crap two updates in a week. The end of the world! _

_AT some point I will be going through this and fixing all my errors and fixing minor plot holes as I find them. I really hope this all doesn't seem too stretched. I was trying to keep these future selves from revealing too much, but reveal enough to secure the strength of the plot. _

_Let me know what you think at this point. I'm really curious to know if I've lost anyone storywise. _


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